Resolving Land Ownership Issues for a Community Water Project: A Post-Earthquake Development Dispute in Rural El Salvador

摘要

This article explores a development dispute, and subsequent negotiation process, over a community water system project, funded through post-earthquake international aid in rural El Salvador. The study centers on Las Trancas, a community recovering from devastating earthquakes in January and February of 2001, where a conflict over land ownership threatened the completion and long-term sustainability of the water system. This case illustrates the utility of dispute resolution techniques during post-disaster reconstruction, while highlighting the challenges that face those attempting to build local capacity after a disaster.