Development Of Corridors Research Articles

Corridors as empty signifiers: the entanglement of Mozambique’s colonial past and present in its development corridors

ABSTRACT This article examines the infrastructural histories and legacies of three transnational corridors centred on the Mozambican cities of Maputo, Beira and Nacala. Underpinned by physical infrastructures, corridors were central to the extractive European colonial enterprise in Africa. Corridors facilitated the flows of resources, goods and knowledge between metropoles, African urban centres, and their hinterlands. Nowadays, corridors insert African cities and regions into global circuits of capital that perpetuate past extractive practices and policies. They are also powerful imaginary spaces for advancing political projects and developing specific configurations of government. Accordingly, the idea of a corridor may remain useful over time even as claims for their economic necessity ebb and flow. In this article, we examine the continuities between three contemporary Mozambican corridors and older colonial transitways that connected the three cities to British colonial interests in southern Africa. Then, drawing on Laclau and Mouffe’s discourse analysis, we suggest that corridors can serve as ‘empty signifiers,’ becoming linked to diverse understandings, standing for fluid yet enduring ambitions of connectivity, competitiveness, and regional integration. After scrutizing recent investments in the corridors, we reflect on their role in constructing a ‘new’ Mozambican economic order that is nevertheless deeply entangled in the country’s past.

Measuring urban expansion pattern using spatial matrices in Khulna City, Bangladesh

Khulna, the third-largest metropolitan area in Bangladesh, has become a potential site for the polycentric urbanization for multiple mega-projects. Measurement of urban expansion is essential for regulating haphazard growth and achieving effective management. This study aims to quantify and compare the urban expansion pattern of Khulna City Corporation (KCC) and surrounding areas’ development hotspots. Landsat remote sensing images of 1990, 2000, 2010 and 2020 were used to perform supervised classification using Geographic Information System (GIS). To quantify urban expansion, we compute Annual Urban Expansion Rate, Urban Expansion Intensity Index, and Urban Expansion Differentiation Index. Although annual urban expansion in the study area was slow during the first two decades, it accelerated to 6.76% during the last decade. 48% of the total built-up areas have grown during 2010–2020 alone. Even though KCC experienced continuous urban growth over a thirty-year period, after 2010, the rate of urban expansion in peripheral areas exceeded that of KCC. Transboundary and intra-regional transportation and economic corridor development, establishment of economically potential zones (EPZ), urban to rural migration, availability of rich agriculture hinterland, low land price and several direct transportation links between the core and periphery are the major influencing factors of peri-urbanization.

Forecast of the directions of development of international transport corridors on the territory of the Russian Federation under the current restrictions

The objectives of the study include analyzing the dynamics of the volume of transportation of Russian and imported goods based on a sample of statistical data, comparing the decline in trade turnover in the context of a pandemic and the imposition of sanctions, identifying the main partners in foreign trade and transit under restrictions. The object of the study is the system of international transport corridors passing through the territory of Russia. The subject of the study is the changes in the routes and intensity of mass cargo traffic on the territory of Russia (export, import and transit) caused by sanctions restrictions. The main scientific result is an assessment of the growth of traffic volumes on all types of transport compared to the pandemic period in 2020-2021, identification of priority directions for the development of international transport corridors already existing in Russia and developing routes of mass cargo flows, on the basis of which the organization of the infrastructure of a new international transport is preferable.

Features, problems and opportunities for the development of transport corridors in the Eurasian Economic Union

International transport corridors are a manifestation of transport links between states with the goal to expand economic contacts and develop transit traffic between them. International transport corridors ensure the coordination of transport systems of the participating states for the implementation of prompt, safe, large-scale and cost-effective supply of goods on a regular long-term basis. International transport corridors within the EAEU countries unite various types of transport routes, transport infrastructure facilities, vehicles and transport authorities. The decisive factor in the development of international transport corridors within the EAEU is the spatial localization of this integration grouping in the center of Eurasia between the European Union and China as the two main economic poles. Such location of the EAEU countries determines their opportunities for the transit of goods through their territory. However, the transport complex of the EAEU faces a number of problems that can be minimized through the implementation of promising projects for the development of transport and logistics infrastructure based on attracting investments and coordinating management decisions in the field of regulation of mutual transportation. This study examines the features of international transport corridors passing through the territory of the EAEU countries, analyzes the potential and problems of their development, and identifies opportunities for the implementation of large transport and logistics projects.

Geopolitical rivalry between the USA and China for transport corridors in Central Asia and problems of regional security

The gradual development of international transport corridors is the core of the political, economic, integration, modernization, spiritual, and cultural development of all countries of modernity. The transport industry, which is an effective means of transporting goods, is becoming an essential link in the world economy and the main instrument of the globalization process. In this regard, consideration of aspects of the development of international transport corridors is a vital and high-priority problem for research. In addition to playing the role of a geopolitically important link in the world, the Central Asian region is becoming the center of the intersection of international transport corridors. A crucial factor influencing national and regional security is the geopolitical rivalry of the key actors of world politics in Central Asia. This trend is associated with the huge reserves of oil and gas, uranium, as well as the significance of the strategic position of the region as a linkage between the markets of Europe and Asia. Conflicts arising from the desire of the leading actors of world politics to establish control over international transport corridors bring to the agenda the problem of the security of the region through which these corridors pass. The primary task in the era of globalization for the states of Central Asia located along the “Great Silk Road” is to ensure regional security, including the national one. This scientific article considers the influence of the “international transport corridors” factor on the regional security of Central Asia, analyzes the geopolitical problems of transport corridors, the role of transport projects for the revival of the Silk Road initiated by the United States of America and the People’s Republic of China, and the impact of geopolitical rivalry between the two countries on the regional security of Central Asia.

ЕС vs ЕАЭС: молодежь российского эксклава о перспективах и барьерах международного сотрудничества

The dynamics of relations between the Kaliningrad region and its neighboring countries demonstrates various strategic approaches for positioning the region: a military outpost, a “development corridor” and a region of international cooperation. The latter option is considered the most promising scenario. However, the effectiveness of the implementation of the program largely depends on the degree of acceptance of the new geopolitical role of the region by the population of the region. First of all, those who represent the cultural and professional future - the youth. Therefore, the aim of this article is to determine the ideas of young people in the Kaliningrad region about the prospects and barriers of international cooperation with the Russian exclave, as well as to record their assessment of the socio-economic, cultural and infrastructural network of interactions with the Eurasian Economic Union and the European Union. The main research method is a sociological survey of young people aged 18-35 in Kaliningrad and border municipalities of the Kaliningrad region. The survey was conducted in May 2021. The research sample consisted of 463 respondents. Depending on the attitude to the EAEU and the EU a typology of Kaliningrad youth is proposed: Eurasians and anti-Eurasians, pro-Europeans and Euro-pessimists. A positive attitude to each integration project (EU and EAEU) significantly prevails among the youth of the Kaliningrad region. The European Union is seen as the region's preferred partner in such areas as culture, science, education, transport and infrastructure, and environmental protection. The Eurasian Economic Union seems to be a more reliable partner for cooperation in the military sphere. The socio-economic and healthcare spheres turn out to be outside of integration agenda. The absolute majority of the respondents supported the development of cooperation with Poland and Lithuania in various fields, especially in the tourism industry. Despite the support for the idea of cross-border cooperation, the majority of the young people demonstrated extremely poor awareness of the main international programs with the Kaliningrad region. They also could not give specific examples of cross-border cooperation. According to the youth, there are such main barriers to cross-border cooperation as the COVID-19 pandemic, the visa regime, the two-sided sanctions of the European Union and Russia, and stereotypes in the perception of Russians by residents of the neighboring countries.

Global logistics intermodal network simulation modeling by incremental assignment and corridor development simulations in Myanmar

This study develops a more stable model to simulate the global container cargo flows in the intermodal network with link capacities by improving the existing model with incremental assignment and parallel computing. The developed model is validated by comparing it with the observed port cargo throughputs and sensitivity analyses. Subsequently, the model is applied to the ASEAN region and China to examine the impact of logistics corridor development policies. Specifically, the scenarios improving borders between ASEAN and China confirm that improvements in Myanmar borders would shift cargo from other ASEAN countries, while improvements across ASEAN would increase the region-wide land transit cargo. The scenarios improving borders in the East–West Corridor (EWC) of the Greater Mekong Subregion confirm that the EWC is in competitive and complementary relationships with Thilawa port. Finally, the scenarios adding liner services suggest stimulating the demand by improving Myanmar's domestic logistics network than encouraging border crossings.

Международные транспортные коридоры как фактор формирования Большого Евразийского партнерства

In 2015 a Greater Eurasian Partnership initiative was announced, but disputes regarding its conceptual content and institutional design are still ongoing. According to the author the Greater Eurasian Partnership should be formed in two key areas. Firstly, through the establishment of permanent links between key multilateral organizations in the Greater Eurasia (EAEU, SCO, ASEAN) which can synchronize their agenda and achieve a synergistic effect. Secondly, through the practical implementation of global projects in which several participants will be interested. One of the most promising areas of such cooperation is the creation and development of international transport corridors (ITCs). Following the creation of the ITC the accompanying infrastructure, industrial production in the neighboring areas, customs regulation begin to develop – such corridors are a powerful impetus for the development of a number of industries. In addition, effective and mutually beneficial joint infrastructure projects are a significant guarantee for maintaining friendly relations among the participants implementing these projects. The goal of almost all trans-regional integration projects announced since the 2010s is the formation of optimal transport corridors, the creation of sustainable and cost-effective supply chains and the development of related infrastructure. And the Greater Eurasian Partnership is no exception. It is the launch and uninterrupted operation of international transport corridors that can become a driver for expanding cooperation in the format of the Greater Eurasian Partnership and deepening cooperation of all interested participants in priority sectors of the economy.

BRI Economic Corridors: Implications for Future Economic Development in Global Recession

This article explores the implications of the Belt and Road Initiative (BRI) Economic Corridors for future economic development, especially in the context of the current global recession. The BRI, launched by China in 2013, aims to connect Asia, Europe, and Africa through a network of infrastructure projects, including the development of economic corridors. These corridors are expected to boost trade, investment, and economic growth in the participating countries. The article provides an overview of the BRI and its economic corridors and discusses the potential benefits and challenges of the initiative. It analyzes the impact of the global recession on the BRI and how the initiative can help mitigate the effects of the crisis. The article also examines the role of the BRI in promoting sustainable development and addressing environmental concerns. A qualitative research methodology will be implemented based on a market analysis, expert interpretations, literature review, and assessment of online sources. Moreover, the article will cover the politico-economic considerations, infrastructure development opportunities, shipping and transportation facilitation, along with trade facilitation and opportunities along the corridors. The article recommends that policymakers and stakeholders work together to maximize the benefits of the BRI while minimizing the risks and negative impacts. The study concludes that the BRI Economic Corridors have the potential to become a major driver of economic development, particularly in the face of the current global recession. However, the success of the initiative will depend on addressing several challenges, including governance, financing, and environmental sustainability.

РОССИЙСКО-КИТАЙСКАЯ ТОРГОВЛЯ РЫБНОЙ ПРОДУКЦИЕЙ: ТРЕНДЫ, ПРОБЛЕМЫ

Russian research often talks about the fact that the actual level of Russian-Chinese trade and economic cooperation is lagging that declared. The same is said about Russian-Chinese border cooperation. Research often points to the poor development of logistics corridors, low investment activity, as well as the difficulty of implementing various strategies in the regional environment due to the mismatch of actors’ interests. Nevertheless, there are examples of industries in which trade and economic partnerships are developing steadily in the context of cross-border cooperation, creating positive externalities for the economy and Russian Far East industry. That refers to the Russian-Chinese f ish trade. The article reviews of the current situation. The authors come to the conclusion that at the present stage, the Russian-Chinese fish trade is a steadily developing branch of cooperation between the two countries, the corresponding sectors of the national economies are both in a situation of high interdependence, and sometimes compete each other in world markets. Authors shows a number of institutional issues hindering the development of the industry, similar to those that affect the overall level of cross-border cooperation.

Transport Infrastructure of the Countries of Central Asia: State and Development Trends

The article discusses the role of transport in the regionalization of the countries of Central Asia and activities on international projects for the development of transport corridors in the region. The problems that arise in the countries of the subregion in the development of transport infrastructure make it possible to determine the trends in the development of transport infrastructure in the region from the point of view of the interests of both Central Asian countries and neighboring countries, in the region, and potential partners in international projects.

Потери почвы от дефляции в Ростовской области

Purpose: collection, analysis and generalization of data on wind speed and the intensity of deflation processes in Rostov region, that helps assessing the quantitative side of soil loss depending on wind speed, weather conditions, terrain, tillage method and other factors, and development of wind corridors for the conditions of the region under consideration. Materials and methods. The research was carried out on chestnut soils, southern and ordinary chernozems of the agricultural enterprise “Rassvet” of Aksai district and the agricultural enterprise “Krasnoarmeyskoe” of Oryol district of Rostov region, and the results of other scientists, who have been conducting research in Rostov region since 1969, were analyzed and summarized. Wind speed was measured with anemometers at a height of 2 m above the soil level, and the soil mass moved by winds was determined by the Erosion bridge (pin method) and dust collectors of our own design. Methods of analysis and synthesis as a systematic approach to achieving the goal were used. Results. The wind direction and speed in Rostov region depend on the seasonal position of pressure centers: the Siberian maximum in winter and the Azores in summer. Over the 54 years of research from 1969 to 2023, dust storms and drifting snow were observed 11 times, i.e. once every five years. Mathematical processing of long-term research data made it possible to obtain dependencies for assessing the effect of wind speed on soil removal on average in 1 hour, to determine soil removal coefficients, to propose zoning of the region into five deflationary regions, to develop a map diagram of deflationary zones and wind corridors of Rostov region. Conclusions. The greatest soil losses in wind-impact directions were in 1969 up to 800–900 t/ha for a duration of 300 h, in 1972 – 170–200 t/ha for a duration of 96 h; in 1984, with a daytime wind speed of 10–14 m/s with gusts of up to 25–30 m/s for a duration of 142 h, soil losses amounted to 218 t/ha.

Assessment of the impact of transport corridors on the economy of the Eurasian region

In modern conditions, the economy of the regions of the Russian Federation is in conditions of high uncertainty associated with an unstable political situation. Not having had time to completely eliminate the consequences of the pandemic caused by the spread of coronavirus infection, the regions of Russia are forced to face new circumstances. Respectively, it requires an analysis of the current situation, determination of possible directions of development. At the moment, the conjuncture of regional markets is undergoing significant changes, new political alliances are being formed, and cargo flows are rotating. The article considers the processes of integration and globalization affecting the world economy and the transport industry. The state of the transport infrastructure of the Russian Federation is analyzed: the problems preventing the timely renewal of the transport infrastructure are identified, the assessment of the transport industry of Russia by international organizations is considered, the level of investment activity is studied. The trends of cargo transportation in the Eurasian region have been established. The directions of development of the Eurasian transport corridors are formulated. Thus, it can be concluded that the conducted research is relevant: the Eurasian transport corridors open new opportunities for many regions, producers and investors, as well as for end users of products.

Россия и транзитные коридоры Евразии

The importance of the transit corridors that connect Russia with Eurasian South and East, have increased against the backdrop of the Ukrainian crisis, the blocking of Russian communications in the European direction and “the sanctions curtain” lowered on Russia by the West. In connection with all this, the role of the North-South International Transportation Corridor has grown, whilst within the frameworks of its Western Route (Caspian-Azerbaijan-Iran), Russia began expanding its transport and logistics structure. Given complex geopolitical upheavals in the Transcaucasian and the Caspian regions, issues of other alternative transport routes become relevant. The Zangezur corridor project and the Trans-Caspian Trade and Transit Corridor (the Middle Corridor) are among them. Most of planned logistic pathways are less convenient and cheap in comparison with time-tested trade routes that run through the territory of Russia. In addition, the development of new transport corridors is slowed down due to Eurasia’s unstable international political environment.

Монголия: внешняя торговля и развитие инфраструктуры

The paper reveals the modern specifics of the economy and plans for the development of infrastructure in Mongolia. The influence of anti-COVID restrictions on foreign trade is being studied. It is shown that the problems of export and raw material development and inland Mongolian isolation in the face of restrictions on crossing the border with China for vehicles were exacerbated by the poor development of the railway network. As a result of these restrictions, coal production and exports from Mongolia to China more than halved in 2020–2021. Together with the fall in coal prices in 2020 and the collapse in the services sector, this led to the deepest recession in the Mongolian economy since 1992. Plans for the development of international transport and energy corridors through Mongolia are being considered. Based on actual data, the insignificant role of Mongolia in the dynamically growing transit of container cargo in the direction of China–Europe–China is shown. The unsatisfactory condition of the Trans-Mongolian Railway and the absence of railways in a number of promising directions of freight flows prevent the full realization of the transit potential of Mongolian freight traffic. In connection with Russia’s reorientation of export flows to Asia, the Eastern Railway Corridor stands out as a promising corridor through Mongolia. A strategically significant initiative, which in the context of anti-Russian sanctions will seriously strengthen economic cooperation in the regional triangle Russia-Mongolia-China, is the plan to build a Soyuz-Vostok transit gas pipeline through Mongolia. This project will allow redirecting gas supplies from the West Siberian region of Russia, previously supplied to Europe, directly to the capital region of China. Mongolia is also interested in the implementation of this large-scale project, which seeks to obtain new opportunities for economic development. The implementation of these infrastructure development plans will allow Mongolia to not only take advantage of its location between Russia and China and strengthen the economic base for cooperation with them, but also, in general, lay the foundation for economic diversification and deeper integration into the global economic system.

Потенциал развития экспорта российской и казахстанской агропродукции в Китай

Due to their vast territory suitable for agriculture, surplus production of agricultural products and geographical proximity to the northern and western provinces of China, Russia and Kazakhstan can take significant positions in the growing Chinese market. The development of international transport corridors with access to China will contribute to the increase of the competitive capabilities of the two countries and the growth of export volumes. In this context, the interstate railway corridor with Dostyk border station (Kazakhstan) as a connecting link seems very promising. The development of this direction of agro-logistics will contribute to the inclusion of Siberian and Ural regions of the Russian Federation in international trade, will be an important factor in the international role of the Republic of Kazakhstan by attracting transit cargo from Russia. The transport corridor through Dostyk is also relevant in the context of sanctions against Russia and the need to reorient trade flows with unfriendly countries to other directions. The article identifies the types of agricultural products and regions of the cargo area that are the most promising for exports from Russia and Kazakhstan through Dostyk. To assess the potential for the development of this transport corridor, the analysis of agricultural cargo export flows from Russia and Kazakhstan to China in terms of ports and border crossings is presented, the problems and bottlenecks of agro-export logistics of Russia and Kazakhstan are studied, the economic efficiency of traditional railway and container transportation is compared, and the competitiveness of Russian agricultural products supplies to China through Dostyk in comparison with other logistics directions is estimated. The findings indicate that the regions of the cargo zone of Russia and Kazakhstan have high shipping potential for railway deliveries to China through Dostyk. However, its implementation is possible under a number of conditions: changes in railway transportation tariffs and removal of export restrictions, while intensifying negotiations between countries with China to reduce the level of customs and administrative barriers.

Assessment for the growth prospects in freight turnover of the international transport corridor "north-south" in modern conditions

The global labor division, the production planetary division and consumption markets are increasingly actualizing the issues of a reliable and sustainable organization of trade supply on the basis of the developing international transport corridors (ITCs), which are becoming points of growth not only for national economies, but also for large regions. The dynamics of the global market contribute to the increase in the number and potential of the transport corridors. The North-South transport corridor considered in the research is one of the strategic in ensuring the goods supply in the direction of the India-Iran-Azerbaijan-Russia-European Union. A predictive analysis of the development dynamics of the transport corridor freight turnover is carried out, the drivers and barriers to its development in the context of changes in the geopolitical and economic environment of the markets are determined. Attention is paid to the issues of balanced development of the potential transport corridors according to the formation of nodal transport and logistics centers at the intersections of the meridional and latitudinal corridors. It is shown that the railway transport in the ITC “North-South” in its Russian segment is becoming a key factor in the development and transportation competitiveness in comparison with alternative routes. The issues of the container transportations competitiveness of the ITC “North-South” in the context of the multimodality growth and the containerized cargo growth are considered. Prospects for the development of ITC “North-South” in the future depends on active organizational solutions in ensuring the planning and regulation supply, excluding international barriers to its development as well as the introduction of digital technologies for monitoring and managing flows.

Optimization of Market Behavior of a Transportation Company

The relevance of optimizing the interaction of participants in manufacture and transport systems is due to the growth of the scale of social production, the development of transnational companies and international trade at the present stage of market transformations, economic integration and development of transport corridors. In this paper we will optimize the market behavior of a transport enterprise in the manufacture and transportation chain. Objectives: To determine the best option for coordinating the actions of participants in the manufacture and transport chain and to optimize the mechanism for granting discounts on the tariff of the transport company. Research methods: economic and mathematical modeling, construction and mathematical analysis of models of manufacture and transport systems, optimization computer calculations, economic interpretation of the results. In this paper it will also be analyzed how full or partial integration of the participants of manufacture and transportation chains, such as coordination of actions, unification of interests can ensure not only a significant increase in the profits of each participant, but also an increase in production volumes and delivery of products to consumers with a corresponding decrease in prices. The paper also portrays how every participant in the manufacture and transportation chain can paradoxically benefit from the established mechanism that would provide discounts on the tariff of a transport company depending on the volume of cargo flow followed by principle the more cargo, the greater the discount. It will be shown how manufacturer benefits by reducing transportation costs, while the transport company earns less per container, but the outstripping growth in the number of these containers provides it with a higher profit. Consequently, the conditions for the feasibility of applying such a mechanism of tariff discounts will also be established.

The Integration of Regional Infrastructure in South America (IIRSA)

With the transformations that have taken place in recent decades, due to the expansion of global production chains, physical infrastructure has begun to occupy a central place in the development of global capitalism, as a key element in the proliferation, insertion and consolidation of national economies in the international economy. In this context, at the beginning of the new century, the Initiative for the Integration of Regional Infrastructure in South America (IIRSA) was created, with the aim of promoting mega-projects such as highways, oil pipelines, gas pipelines, waterways, sea and river ports, hydroelectric dams, electricity and fibre optic cables. At the same time, this Initiative proposed the development of bioceanic corridors connecting the Pacific and Atlantic ports, favouring the transit of export flows.
 Thus, the aim of this article is to analyse, from a critical perspective, the IIRSA and the development of infrastructure in South America from the beginning of the new century to the present day. We will focus on the transversal axes into which IIRSA divided the subcontinent, the flows that were considered a priority and the bioceanic corridors that were proposed.
 In order to address the proposed objective, we carried out a bibliographical and documentary review technique (Valles, 1999). Within the framework of this tool, we used three main sources. Firstly, reports and studies carried out by financial and international institutions, and from the IIRSA initiative itself, which were contrasted and compared with hard data and maps. Secondly, newspaper articles, which provide information in relation to the context and the debates that existed. Thirdly, academic literature and articles by specialists in the field.

KORYTARZE ROZWOJU STRUKTURY PRZESTRZENNEJ MIASTA – WYBRANE ZAGADNIENIA DELIMITACJI. STUDIUM PRZYPADKU

The author deals with the model interpretation of the city's spatial structure. This approach emphasizes the role of the urban structure based on nodes and development corridors. Continuing the research on the spatial structure of Krakow, the author considers the criteria appropriate for the delimitation of areas with the highest crystallization potential of the urban tissue. Against this background, presents the results of a case study of one of the main development axes of Krakow.