TITLE:
Beyond Compensation: Livelihood Recovery Following Oil and Gas Development Induced Displacement: A Systematic Review
AUTHORS:
Catherine Nakato Isabirye
KEYWORDS:
Development-Induced Displacement, Oil and Gas, Livelihood Capitals, Food Security, Compensation, Adaptive Strategies, Institutional Support
JOURNAL NAME:
Open Access Library Journal,
Vol.13 No.10,
October
30,
2026
ABSTRACT: Development-induced displacement (DID) from oil and gas projects is a growing phenomenon in Sub-Saharan Africa, often resulting in complex, long-lasting impacts on household livelihoods. This systematic review synthesizes evidence from 94 studies conducted between 2011 and 2025, focusing on how DID affects livelihood capitals, food security, adaptation strategies, and the role of compensation and institutional support systems. Guided by the Sustainable Livelihoods Framework, the review finds that displacement disrupts social networks, reduces access to natural resources, and alters human, physical, and financial capital in ways that are strongly mediated by the type of compensation received. Resettled households often benefit from structured packages that integrate land, housing, and basic services, facilitating recovery where these assets are of good quality and supported by extension services. In contrast, cash-compensated households experience greater variability in outcomes, with recovery trajectories hinging on financial literacy, market access, and the presence of complementary support. Food security outcomes are similarly shaped by these dynamics, with production-based recovery more common among resettled households and market-based access prevailing, but often unstable, among cash-compensated ones. Institutional support, particularly when bundled (credit, training, infrastructure, and market linkages), emerges as a critical determinant of whether compensation translates into sustainable adaptation. However, significant evidence gaps remain, few studies compare pre- and post-displacement conditions across compensation types or track long-term livelihood trajectories. The review calls for longitudinal, comparative research that explicitly integrates livelihood assets, food security, and adaptation strategies, while assessing the long-term effectiveness of institutional support systems. These insights can guide policy towards designing compensation and service packages that bridge the divide between immediate relief and sustainable livelihood recovery.