The policy has been in effect since February 2016. In addition, since 2004, the TD has implemented the “Rut Ua Rard” Housing Project to allocate state property that was not utilized, illegally utilized, or illegally occupied for low income families.
It provides leased land for residence and agricultural purposes. This project has been implemented in many areas including 7 proposed districts surrounding Lampao dam, which affectively changes the status of farm households to become tenants under three-year land lease agreements with the TD. The potential change in land usage and their impact on the farmers’ social and economic situation, livelihoods and land use agreement as a result of the proposed project would need to be assessed which would determine the mitigation measures that could be put in place under the safeguards policy (OP4.12)namely the resettlement policy framework. In addition, there are mix ethnic populations living in the areas including Thai, Lao, Yor and Phuthai populations. There is a need to screen and determine whether these population groups are in line with the ethnic minorities under the World Bank policy (OP4.10).