Development-induced Relocation and Refugee Studies: 37 Years of Change and Continuity among Zambia's Gwembe Tonga*

Abstract

Development-induced, involuntary community relocation provides an exceptional opportunity for longitudinal research since ‘benchmark’ studies can be made before removal occurs. Because such relocation all too frequently creates development refugees, a programme of comparative longterm studies might also provide valuable knowledge for policy-makers dealing with a wider range of refugees. This possibility is explored by analysis of change and continuity among Zambia's Gwembe Tonga since their involuntary relocation during the late 1950s in connection with the construction of the first mainstream dam on the Zambezi River.