25-04-2014, 02:55 PM
THE ESTIMATION OF THE IMPACT OF RURAL ROAD INVESTMENTS ON SOCIO-ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT
THE ESTIMATION OF THE IMPACT.pdf (Size: 126.65 KB / Downloads: 94)
ABSTRACT
Socio-economic development and subsequent economic growth on the African continent
is hampered by several limiting factors, including the lack of adequate roads
infrastructure. Investment in transport infrastructure in Africa plays a significant role in
stimulating development.
Rural roads infrastructure in Africa is a specific area of concern, as the development of
such infrastructure has been neglected to a large extent in the past, thereby imposing
significant limitations on growth and development of rural communities. An increased
interest in rural roads investment potential has developed in recent years. This is mainly
due to the need for development of rural as well as the positive impact that road
investment could generate on rural communities, should they have an adequate support
roads infrastructure network that is sustained over the long term.
It is however a complex task to establish the impact of especially rural road investments,
as the benefits received through this investment are difficult to quantify. The impact of
road investments on socio-economic development and economic growth is also an
important indicator for the justification of the considerable costs involved.
The aim of this paper is to discuss the impact of rural road investment on socio-economic
development. The paper also indicates the benefits of rural road investments as well as
the type of mechanisms used in practice to estimate its impact.
INTRODUCTION
Rural road investment is one of the main priorities of Governments in Africa as a
mechanism towards reducing poverty. It is also an important aspect considered by the
development community in the poverty alleviation process and the provision of more
equitable opportunities for rural citizens.
Currently several factors, including the lack of adequate road infrastructure, are
hampering socio-economic development and subsequent economic growth on the African
continent. Against this background it is appropriate to state that investment in rural
transport infrastructure in Africa plays a significant role in socio-economic development
and economic growth of the continent.
However, to be able to state that investment in rural transport infrastructure contributes to
socio-economic development and economic growth, methodologies are required to
estimate the extent of the impact of such investments on socio-economic development
and economic growth. As this is not always an easy task, the main objective of this paper
is to review the available methodologies for estimating to what extent investment in rural
roads contributes to socio-economic development, and ultimately economic growth and
development through poverty alleviation.
Rural Transport
Rural transport depends on appropriate infrastructure, where rural infrastructure consists
mainly of rural roads, tracks, trails and footpaths. These may vary in quality, depending
on weather, season, construction and maintenance. As rural households, and in particular
women, spend a large amount of time and effort on transport activities to fulfill their
basic needs, they are very often severely hampered by the lack of an adequate rural roads
network. As a result of this significant limitations of growth and development of rural
communities have been experienced in the past, and are also being experienced today.
Poverty is very often far worse in rural areas than in urban centers, as a result of lack of
integration with urban centers due to lack of adequate accessibility and mobility, and
local roads and tracks are often impassable, thereby proving it very difficult and in some
cases nearly impossible for rural families to have access to the local rural economy.
Rural Transport
Rural transport depends on appropriate infrastructure, where rural infrastructure consists
mainly of rural roads, tracks, trails and footpaths. These may vary in quality, depending
on weather, season, construction and maintenance. As rural households, and in particular
women, spend a large amount of time and effort on transport activities to fulfill their
basic needs, they are very often severely hampered by the lack of an adequate rural roads
network. As a result of this significant limitations of growth and development of rural
communities have been experienced in the past, and are also being experienced today.
Poverty is very often far worse in rural areas than in urban centers, as a result of lack of
integration with urban centers due to lack of adequate accessibility and mobility, and
local roads and tracks are often impassable, thereby proving it very difficult and in some
cases nearly impossible for rural families to have access to the local rural economy.
CONCLUSION
This paper focused on a review of mechanisms to do estimation of the impact of rural
road investments on socio-economic development. The paper indicates that the provision
of rural roads infrastructure is an essential service that should be in place to enable and
stimulate rural socio-economic growth and development.
Several appraisal techniques and software tools exist through which the impact of rural
road investments can be determined. Although most of these techniques focus mainly on
the determination of direct benefits that are easier to quantify and accurately determine,
there is an increasing trend and movement towards the application of methods to also
determine the larger impact of rural road investment on socio-economic development,
and ultimately economic growth.