Food for Work III : follow-up study of the development impact of CARE Food for Work roads in Bangladesh, December 1986

Roads constructed under the project are having an economic and social impact on the areas they serve. Economically, there have been positive impacts on transportation costs, farmgate prices, farm technology, agricultural production, and land values. Flood control may be enhanced or impeded. There is evidence of positive impacts in the social areas of communication, education, and health, with some indication of an increase in women"s activities and an increase in crime. The development impact of a road construction project is related to the following factors: (1) a time lag of 2-3 years before most of the impact takes place; (2) the ecology of the project area, especially the composition of the soil; (3) integration of the road project with other development activities; (4) use of development criteria in site selection; (5) inclusion of support structures, such as bridges and culverts, in the road project; and (6) road maintenance. The key policy question raised by the project is how to ensure that the Upazila Parishads take into consideration the factors noted above in their deliberations on project selection. This requires a planning capacity which the Upazilas currently do not have, and a capability to override local political pressures which dictate the dispersal of funds to unrelated subprojects in every Union. (Author abstract)