Peter Penz, Jay Drydyk and Pablo S. Bose, Displacement by Development. Ethics, Rights and Responsibilities, Cambridge University Press, 2011, 358 pp.

The reviewed book is a very important voice in the current debate over the displacements associated with economic development. Based on an ethical approach specifies the measures to minimize the problems of displaced persons and strengthening their participation as beneficiaries of the development projects. The book therefore is not limited to a review of previous studies in sociology and applied anthropology. Ethical considerations have become the starting point for the analysis of decision-making in the most spectacular displacements, associated with Sardar Sarovar complex on Narmada river and Kariba dam on the Zambezi. In addition to the groundbreaking theoretical approach to the problem the significant advantages of the book is to draw attention to the rarely analyzed causes of displacement and inspiring historical considerations. The interdisciplinary nature of the study is reflected in the application of ethical considerations as a point of reference for reflection in the field of development studies, decision-making mechanisms and legal framework for resettlement planning, defining the responsibilities and the nature of the displaced (DIDPs) and affected (PAPs) communities (rights based approach), and even international relations.