Rural Transport Infrastructure Research Articles

Experience from a phased mixed-methods approach to impact evaluation of Danida support to rural transport infrastructure in Nicaragua

This study exemplifies and discusses how mixed methods can be used to overcome data shortages in an evaluation of the socio-economic effects of improved transport infrastructure in Nicaragua. Relying on a combination of existing data and a targeted collection of additional qualitative and quantitative information, the approach establishes a counterfactual and analyses the processes of change over a relevant range of impacts, whilst investigating heterogeneity of effects. The approach enabled a small donor agency with scarce evaluation resources to conduct an impact evaluation within data, time and budget constraints, thereby contributing to the foundation for better practice.

Evaluation of the Use of Rural Transportation Infrastructure in Evacuation Operations

The coastal communities of the Northern Gulf of Mexico (NGM), which stretches from Florida to Louisiana, are predominantly rural and are under the constant threat of hurricanes each fall. In the last five years, deadly hurricanes such as Katrina, Rita, Ivan, and Gustav have required mass evacuations and other major emergency transportation services to be deployed. The rural transportation network is a major component of a larger, multimodal system that is critical for mobility of people, goods, and services. Rural roads have a larger role in evacuation than is currently recognized. The objective of this study is to evaluate the use of rural transportation infrastructure in evacuation operations in the NGM. A survey of the communities in the NGM was conducted to analyze the current state of the practice in rural evacuations. The evaluation of rural transportation infrastructure included the use and efficiency of evacuation tools, evacuee flow and traffic volume levels on evacuation routes, evacuation preparation, and associated evacuation issues and barriers. The findings of this study are thought to be useful in improving rural evacuations in the NGM.

Transport, mobility and social capital in developing countries

The World Bank defines social capital as the institutions, relationships and norms that shape the quality and quantity of a society's social interactions. Social capital is a multi-faceted concept that implies emotional attachments to relatives and friends as well as interactions between people. Existing studies of transport and its impact on the rural poor in developing countries focus largely on its role in the process of economic growth, by increasing the productive capacity and market accessibility of small-scale farmers through investment in infrastructure and transport services. Few researchers have investigated the role that transport plays in providing access to and maintenance of valuable social networks. Social capital provides a catalyst for sustainable mobility and service delivery in the absence of conventionally measured economic benefits. Without the social capital argument the reasons for maintaining rural transport infrastructure and services remain weak. Access to social capital networks requires mobility, and transport is the agency by which social capital networks are supported. Mobility is essential to the sustainability of social networks yet, to date, existing literature disregards the means by which people physically access social capital, whether through associations and community groups or simply maintaining rural–urban linkages with extended family members. This paper draws on empirical evidence from Kenya to review the relationship between transport mobility and social capital and its relevance for rural development. It examines the significance of transport in accounting for the extent of social interaction and the way that transport interventions enable the poor to access, and be included in, social capital networks.

Village Level Labor Market Development in Tanzania: Evidence from Spatial Econometrics

While many empirical studies show that participation in rural labor markets is an important household livelihood strategy, data on Tanzania show that the participation in the rural labor markets is still relatively low. This study examines the factors behind the development of village labor markets in Tanzania. Using spatial econometric techniques, the study shows that, despite their incipient development, rural labor markets in Tanzania are significantly interlinked across space. Furthermore, underlying factors for development of rural labor markets, such as access to roads and availability of credit, have varying impacts across space. This implies that policy interventions such as making credit available to the rural households and investment in rural transport infrastructure would also have varying effects across space. The study reveals that interventions that reduce cash constraints such as rural credit schemes are likely to have greater impacts in the western part of the country than in the eastern part. However, interventions that reduce the time used in collecting firewood are likely to have more pronounced impacts in the eastern parts than in the western parts of the country. While east-west variations of most of these interventions are significant, most of the north-south variations are not significant. This phenomenon is partly attributed to east-west alignment of key infrastructure such as transport networks.

Transporting Welfare Beyond the City

Transportation services provided by government-sponsored welfare programs are implemented more effectively in urban rather than rural areas. Urban infrastructure elements that facilitate reliable and inexpensive transportation do not exist in less densely populated rural geographies. Under current Welfare-to-Work legislation, wide latitude is provided to regional governmental agencies in the designation of transportation services subsidization for welfare recipients. A Central Texas government agency commissioned the creation of a systematic methodology to evaluate the prospect of developing a rural transportation infrastructure for welfare recipients. The result of the methodology, as detailed in this article, was a comprehensive Geographic Information System (GIS)-based evaluation tool for designating key components of a welfare-related rural transportation system.

Decentralisation in developing countries: a model for road administration

Many developing countries are decentralising the administration of their road networks with the aim of improving the delivery of rural transport infrastructure services. A study of decentralisation of road administration in developing countries has been undertaken, including a literature review, and field studies in Nepal, Uganda and Zambia. The evidence from this study suggests that it is proving difficult to realise the expected benefits fully. Problems include a lack of local government powers to exercise political influence, insufficient financial resources, a lack of management capability, and a lack of accountability mechanisms. Limited data also suggest that there is little evidence of existing decentralised systems being particularly responsive to addressing the needs of the rural poor. Different models for administrative decentralisation have been developed through this study. They are described, and recommendations are made for approaches likely to be the most appropriate for rural transport infrastructure administration and management. However, the benefits can be assured only through a long-term investment in establishing effective systems at a local level and building local capacity. There is also a need for the poor to be involved more actively in the planning, financing and implementation process, if poverty alleviation is to be achieved.

Decentralisation in developing countries: a model for road administration

Many developing countries are decentralising the administration of their road networks with the aim of improving the delivery of rural transport infrastructure services. A study of decentralisation of road administration in developing countries has been undertaken, including a literature review, and field studies in Nepal, Uganda and Zambia. The evidence from this study suggests that it is proving difficult to realise the expected benefits fully. Problems include a lack of local government powers to exercise political influence, insufficient financial resources, a lack of management capability, and a lack of accountability mechanisms. Limited data also suggest that there is little evidence of existing decentralised systems being particularly responsive to addressing the needs of the rural poor. Different models for administrative decentralisation have been developed through this study. They are described, and recommendations are made for approaches likely to be the most appropriate for rural transport infrastructure administration and management. However, the benefits can be assured only through a long-term investment in establishing effective systems at a local level and building local capacity. There is also a need for the poor to be involved more actively in the planning, financing and implementation process, if poverty alleviation is to be achieved.

Rural Transportation Infrastructure Preservation in Kansas: Issues and Challenges

Rural transportation infrastructure, owned and maintained largely by local governments, has a unique role in the mobility of the United States. Local transportation infrastructure is maintained mostly by property taxes. Federal assistance for local governments for rural infrastructure preservation is minimal. Cities and counties across the state of Kansas have an enormous task in maintaining their roads and bridges: 90% of the roads and 80% of the bridges in the state are their direct responsibility. According to the U.S. Census Bureau, between 1990 and 2000, 59 of the 105 counties in Kansas lost population, some as much as 14%. Adequate funding for transportation infrastructure is the biggest concern in the counties where population is decreasing, followed by maintenance and rehabilitation issues. Some counties with falling population have experienced a decrease in travel in terms of average daily vehicle miles traveled. However, truck travel increased in some counties, which resulted in deteriorated pavements. Very little data exist to assess highway and bridge maintenance needs. An asset management system for the counties would be ideal to assess current and future needs. Rural transportation infrastructure development should be part of regional plans for economic development. Although the number of structurally deficient and functionally obsolete bridges is higher on the county roads than on the city or state routes, no separate funding exists for local bridges in Kansas. More federal assistance in this area is also urgently needed.

Design and Appraisal of Rural Transport Infrastructure

Design and Appraisal of Rural Transport Infrastructure

Prospects of Using Improved Intermediate Means of Transport in Ghanaian Agriculture: A Survey

ABSTRACT In recognition of the vital role of agriculture in Ghana's economy, the Ministry of Food and Agriculture initiated the Rural Transport Infrastructure Project, with a key objective to promote use of Intermediate Means of Transport (IMT), especially donkey-drawn carts, bicycle-trailers and power tillers, among rural farming communities. A survey was conducted to understand and document the socio-economic characteristics of selected rural farming communities regarding the adoption and diffusion of the three IMT technologies as part of the pilot phase of the project. The survey covered the main agro-ecological areas of the country, which are the transition, forest, coastal and Guinea savanna zones. Two findings did not support the conventional thinking among policymakers. First, women managed fewer but larger individual farms (2.11 ha on average) compared to men (1.38 ha on average), although the aggregate of farmfields were generally larger for men. Second, mono-cropping (as opposed to inter-cropping) systems dominated the farming systems in all four agro-ecological zones. Very few farmers had previous experience using the power tiller (7%), donkey-drawn cart (3%), and bicycle trailer (2%). The majority of farmers (61%) preferred co-operative or some form of farmers' association, as opposed to individual, ownership and management of the technologies. Although there were no reported cultural barriers to adoption of the IMT, lack of capital, poor road network, and inadequate knowledge about equipment maintenance were important limitations. Among the three IMT, the power tiller was the most preferred in all four agro-ecological zones. Although the high level of involvement of females in many farm operations, particularly in weeding, and transportation and sale of farm produce is no novel finding, its implications regarding special considerations in policy and in promoting the technologies, especially to female farmers, is one contribution of this study. Specifically, the IMT technology delivery service should not only be sensitized and communicated to both male and female farmers, but the new innovations, prices, farmers' meetings and workshops, and the special constraints facing female farmers should be included in outreach programs.

Decentralization of road administration: case studies in Africa and Asia

AbstractA study of decentralization of road administration in developing countries has been undertaken, including a literature review, and field studies in Nepal, Uganda and Zambia. The findings are reported under the headings of: constitutions and governance; policy and planning; financial and fiscal aspects; institutions, management and human resources; operations; and contribution to poverty alleviation. Decentralization of road administration has potential for improving the delivery of rural transport infrastructure services. But the evidence from this study suggests that it is proving difficult to realize fully the expected benefits. Problems include: lack of local government powers to exercise political influence; insufficient financial resources; lack of management capability; and a lack of accountability mechanisms. Limited data also suggest that there is little evidence of existing decentralized systems being particularly responsive to addressing the needs of the rural poor. There is a need for the poor to be involved more actively in the planning, financing and implementation process. Different models for administrative decentralization are described and recommendations are made for approaches likely to be the most appropriate for rural transport infrastructure administration and management. Copyright © 2001 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.

Design and Evaluation of Very Low-Volume Rural Roads in Developing Countries

Design and evaluation methodologies for low-volume rural roads have traditionally followed an agricultural focus, with an understanding that improved transport, by lowering transport costs, supports economic development through expanding exports and local incomes. More recently, the role of low-volume roads as a crucial complementary input to other activities has been recognized, especially the delivery of essential health and educational services, exchange of information, and basic social interactions. However, limited analytical work has been done to ensure that these benefits are systematically incorporated in the planning and evaluation of transport projects, and experience suggests that the current emphasis of design and evaluation on agricultural benefits can lead to inappropriate priorities and design standards, inasmuch as these are still typically guided by trading off infrastructure life-cycle costs (construction and maintenance) against motorized user savings (vehicle operating costs) and/or increased net income/value-added. There is a need to be more discerning in the application of existing methodologies, as well as to systematically incorporate the socioeconomic role of rural transport infrastructure (including poverty alleviation) into prioritizing improvements. Key to this analysis is the proposition that appropriate design standards need to balance the transport requirements of core economic and social activities with the impact of geography (geology, topography, and climate) on construction and maintenance costs. By taking into account the broader range of impact on local users, the proposed approach encompasses a wide array of options for providing minimum-cost, reliable infrastructure for both motorized and nonmotorized transport.

Increasing Food Production in Sub‐Saharan Africa: Comment

American Journal of Agricultural EconomicsVolume 68, Issue 4 p. 998-999 Comments and Replie Increasing Food Production in Sub-Saharan Africa: Comment Arthur J. Dommen, Arthur J. Dommen Research Section Leader Africa and Middle East Branch, International Economics Division, Economic Research Service, U.S. Department of AgricultureSearch for more papers by this author Arthur J. Dommen, Arthur J. Dommen Research Section Leader Africa and Middle East Branch, International Economics Division, Economic Research Service, U.S. Department of AgricultureSearch for more papers by this author First published: 01 November 1986 https://doi.org/10.2307/1242148Citations: 1AboutPDF ToolsRequest permissionExport citationAdd to favoritesTrack citation ShareShare Give accessShare full text accessShare full-text accessPlease review our Terms and Conditions of Use and check box below to share full-text version of article.I have read and accept the Wiley Online Library Terms and Conditions of UseShareable LinkUse the link below to share a full-text version of this article with your friends and colleagues. Learn more.Copy URL Share a linkShare onFacebookTwitterLinkedInRedditWechat No abstract is available for this article.Citing Literature Volume68, Issue4November 1986Pages 998-999 RelatedInformation

The Effect of Rural Road Transport on Crop Commercialization: Evidence from the Ethiopian Living Standard Measurement Survey

Ethiopia has adopted commercialization of smallholder agriculture as a policy tool for agricultural development and rural transformation thereby to improve rural welfare. Towards this end, the government has given policy focus to rual road infrastracture. The objective of the study is, therefore, to estimate the effect of acess to rual road on commercialization of smallholder farmers in the country. The study used the Ethiopian Socio- Economic Survey, a nationally representative panel data prepared by Central Statistics Agency of Ethiopia and the World Bank. Descriptive statistics as well as Econometric techniques are used to analyze the effect of rural accessibility and mobility on agricultural market participation and commercialization. The descriptive statistics reveals that the commercialization index for households in villages with access to all weather roads is 19 percent against the corresponding figure of 16 percent for their counterparts. The econometrics estimation also tallied with this finding. More interestingly, mode of transport used for agricultural purposes is found to have a positive and significant effect on commercialization. The result indicates that commercialization level for farmers using modern mode of transport is 17 percentage points higher than those who did not use any. In the same manner, the result indicates that commercialization level of farmers using traditional mode of transport is 12 percentage points higher than those who did not use any. Thus, integrating remote areas with urban centers through rural transport infrastructure development that addresses both access and mobility demand of rural communities should be given priority.
 
 Keywords: commercialization, market participation, rural road access, mobility