In summary, the resettlement experiences of these two
villages have been very different. In Ban Nam Ang,
resettlement led to an initial period of retrenchment,
following by growth and expansion in the agricultural
economy. In Ban Phon Hai the relocation of
the village from the Nam Ngum Dam site was an
event with dire consequences: it propelled the community
into food insecurity, and forced the inhabitants
to depend on off-farm activities and sources of
income. The transition here has been one with a
sudden break (at the moment of resettlement), and
no real recovery––and certainly not in agricultural
terms.