Africa's Transport Infrastructure: Mainstreaming Maintenance and Management (Directions in Development)

Africa's Transport Infrastructure: Mainstreaming Maintenance and Management (Directions in Development) Review

Africa's Transport Infrastructure: Mainstreaming Maintenance and Management (Directions in Development) Feature

• ISBN13: 9780821384565
• Condition: New
• Notes: BRAND NEW FROM PUBLISHER! 100% Satisfaction Guarantee. Tracking provided on most orders. Buy with Confidence! Millions of books sold!

Transport infrastructure is a key requirement for economic growth. But in Saharan Africa today, road networks are sparse, conditions are poor, and accident rates are high. Railroads are in decline. Airport runways are poorly maintained, and air traffic control and safety records are poor. Port performance falls well below international standards, and costs are high. Urban transit is generally chaotic and inadequate. The multidonor Africa Infrastructure Country Diagnostic (AICD) is a new database on the nature, extent, and condition of transport infrastructure in the region. Africa s Transport Infrastructure: Mainstreaming Maintenance and Management presents, analyzes, and critically discusses the content of AICD, in the context of the institutional and policy environments, to identify the major causes of poor infrastructure performance. The analysis reveals that networks are generally less dense, both per square kilometer and per capita, than in other regions. However, because incomes are low, the financial burden is greater than elsewhere. As a consequence, maintenance has been neglected and the condition of the infrastructure has deteriorated, increasing the costs of operations. This situation is accentuated by failures in the management and regulation of operators. The book presents financing trends and compares them with estimated expenditure needs. It shows that backlogs in routine and periodic maintenance have built up needs for rehabilitation that cannot be satisfied from domestic sources alone. It shows, both functionally and geographically, where major shortfalls are likely to occur and where priorities are highest, stressing the need to mobilize a wide range of sources for investment finance. The book concludes, however, that investment is only part of what is needed to improve the transport system. Unless that investment is accompanied by increased attention to maintenance finance and by substantial improvements in system management, the cost of transport in the region will continue to be a serious impediment to economic growth. This book will be of interest to governments in the region and to multilateral and bilateral aid and lending agencies, as well as to graduate students, faculty, and researchers in African studies and transport studies.