resettlement

The World Bank has this week published the Investigation Report of its Inspection Panel for the involuntary resettlement of residents in the village of Hade near Pristina in Kosovo. The investigation, undertaken following a complaint by current and former Hade residents and KOSID, confirms that considerable and un-repairable damage was caused to Hade residents during displacement, in order to open the way for the mines of the proposed "Kosova e Re" power plant.

What is a perceived source of security for some can cause instability for others’ lives.

For more than 50 years, the lignite mines in Serbia's Kolubara basin have been expanding, effectively engulfing the few small communities living between them. For local residents, whose homes have quite literally been teetering on the brink of the mines, life has become unbearable. But a recent court ruling might be paving the way to a long overdue reprieve for residents who have been promised to be relocated.

The possible cancellation of the Serbian government’s decision to construct a new 350 MW unit at the Kostolac B lignite power plant was discussed on June 23 at the national administrative court of Serbia.

After months of protests and the people in Runcurel, a small town in Romania that is to be swallowed by a lignite mine, have finally received positive news from the Romanian government. During a meeting with Bankwatch Romania and Greenpeace Romania, the Minister for Energy Vlad Grigorescu confirmed that the government will do more to protect locals and their houses.

Read more background in our photo story

After hitting a snag, the Khudoni dam in Georgia’s mountains is back in the game threatening to expropriate private lands and to bump up electricity prices for Georgian consumers. The controversial changes in an amended contract have inflamed the passion of the Svans who have for years tried to protect their communities from flooding.

Video and pictures from a public action agains lifting the coal mining limits in the Czech Republic that so far have saved towns from being resettled.