• Article Abstracts ( pdf format 51 kb)

• Government-organized Distant Resettlement and the Three Gorges Project, China ( 441 KB)

By Yan Tan, Graeme Hugo and Lesley Potter

Displacement and resettlement associated with the Three Gorges Project in China is at a crucial stage. The previous approach of “near” resettlement, uphill from the dam, has been changed to one of moving large numbers of rural residents out of the reservoir area and settling them in distant agricultural communities. This paper examines the Chongqing reservoir section as a key origin area for the “government-organized distant resettlement” scheme. It examines patterns of distant resettlement to 11 recipient provinces and municipalities in China. Land readjustment in the host communities, compensation and funding for migrants are examined. The Government of China emphasizes “moving out” and “resettling stably” as the key objectives during the physical resettlement or transition period of displacement. However, planning for the restoration of livelihoods and production of the dislocated rural migrants in the new environments remains inadequate. Whether or not distant resettlement can produce a sustainable reconstruction of livelihoods and production as well as local sustainable development in the destination locations remains to be seen.

• Internal Migration Policies in the ESCAP Region ( 118 KB)

By Dang Nguyen Anh (118 KB)

This paper examines internal migration policies that are pertinent to an understanding of the interrelationship between migration and development in the ESCAP region. Four countries, China, Viet Nam, Indonesia and Thailand, which present both differences and similarities in their migration policy experiences, have been selected for consideration. The four countries differ not only in the degree of control of migration but also in their stage in the demographic transition, system of government, level of economic development, political ideology and other criteria that have distinguished their migration patterns and influenced policies.

The paper argues that the migration experience of the ESCAP countries and areas and their government policies regarding migration and spatial distribution are so divergent that the experiences of one country must be interpreted with caution if used to guide the formulation of migration and development policies in another country.

• Fertility Transition in Asia: Past Experiences and Future Directions ( 362 KB)

By Bhakta Gubhaju and Yoshie Moriki-Durand

During the second half of the twentieth century, many countries and areas in Asia witnessed remarkable declines in fertility. For the region as a whole, the total fertility rate is currently estimated at 2.4 births per woman. This region is exceptionally diverse in its level of fertility. While fertility has declined in a majority of countries, some countries still exhibit high fertility levels with total fertility rates of 5 or more children per woman.

Factors hindering the onset of fertility transition in high-fertility countries include lack of educational attainment of women as compared with men, high infant mortality rates, early entry into reproductive life, continuing high demand for children and lack of accessible and affordable contraception. Effective government policies to promote family planning programmes have undoubtedly made significant contributions in reducing fertility in the region. The future course of fertility will largely depend on several factors, including the level of political commitment to quality reproductive health information and services and investments in social sector development. In high-fertility countries, greater emphasis needs to be placed on strengthening family planning programmes so that services are accessible and affordable for couples desiring to use contraception. That is particularly important in view of the large unmet need for family planning in countries where fertility is relatively high.

By contrast, the pressing issue for low-fertility countries is the ageing of the population and shrinking labour force. Some ageing populations in Asia are already facing the problem of increasing national expenditure for old-age social security and a mounting burden of providing care for the growing number of frail elderly. Thus, it is especially important for low-fertility countries as well as near-low-fertility countries to take serious measures to prepare for an ageing society.

• The Impact of Maternal Work Participation on Duration of Breastfeeding among Poor Women in South India ( 178 KB)

By M. Sivakami

This paper seeks to examine the impact of mother’s work participation on the duration of breastfeeding among poor populations. It also looks at the effect of work status at the time of breastfeeding on the risk of terminating breastfeeding. The data are from a survey of 529 women in urban slums and rural Scheduled Caste settlements in Tamil Nadu, a southern state of India. Life -table analysis shows that the mean length of breastfeeding is higher among non-working women as compared with working women by about 2 months (19.3 months for working women and 21.6 for non-working women) in urban areas. However, in rural areas, the mean length of breastfeeding is longer by about one and half months among working women (23 months) than among non-working women (21.6 months).

Proportional hazards analysis shows that the risk of stopping breastfeeding is significantly higher among working women than non-working women in urban areas when controlling for other socio-economic and demographic variables. But in rural areas, participation of women in the labour force does not have any significant effect on the discontinuation of breastfeeding. Proportional hazards analysis with work participation as a time-dependent covariate confirms those results. Thus, labour-force participation of women is incompatible with breastfeeding in the urban areas but not in the rural areas.