Do Rural Infrastructure Investments Benefit the Poor? Evaluating Linkages--A Global View, A Focus on Vietnam

What are linkages between rural infrastructure investments, and household welfare? In the past, most of the evaluations to assess the effectiveness of a project, focused on physical outputs, and success of project implementation. In recent years, more attention has been given to the impact of investments, particularly its effect on the poor, both in economic, and non-economic terms. The author presents findings from a survey of the existing literature on such impacts. Although evidence exists for improved household welfare from rural infrastructure investment, little evidence was found of studies that provided concrete linkages between specific investments in rural infrastructure, and increased welfare of the rural poor. This is due in part to the complexity, and oftentimes the concurrent nature of interventions, that make attributing welfare improvements, to a particular project, virtually impossible. The evidence is presented in this three-part paper. Part I gives examples of past, and current attempts to assess the impact of rural infrastructure projects, and provides suggestions for future evaluations. Part II discusses in detail some observed economic, and non-economic impacts on the poor, from different rural infrastructure interventions. Part III presents lessons learned from the literature on how to maximize the impact of rural infrastructure interventions on household welfare. Specific project, and country examples from the literature, and new data from a recent qualitative study in Vietnam, are presented as evidence for, and illustration of key ideas, and issues.

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Bibliographic Details
Main Author: Songco, Jocelyn A.
Language:English
en_US
Published: World Bank, Washington, DC 2002-02
Subjects:RURAL INFRASTRUCTURE, POVERTY MITIGATION, RURAL POVERTY, INVESTMENTS, HOUSEHOLD WELFARE INDICATORS, PROJECT IMPLEMENTATION, QUALITATIVE DATA ACCESS TO CAPITAL, ACCESS TO CREDIT, AGRICULTURAL EXTENSION, BASIC NEEDS, CAPITAL DEVELOPMENT, CEREAL CROPS, COLLABORATION, COMMUNICATION TECHNOLOGY, CONSUMPTION PATTERNS, CROPS, DAMS, DATA COLLECTION, DECISION-MAKING, DEVELOPMENT RESEARCH, DISPOSABLE INCOME, DRINKING WATER, ECONOMIC ACTIVITY, ECONOMIC GROWTH, ECONOMIC IMPACT, ECONOMIC VALUE, ELECTRICITY, EMPLOYMENT, ENERGY SOURCES, EXPENDITURES, FARM INCOME, FARMERS, FARMING, FARMS, GNP, GROSS NATIONAL PRODUCT, HEALTH IMPROVEMENTS, HOUSEHOLD INCOME, IFAD, IMPACT EVALUATION, IMPLEMENTATION COMPLETION REPORT, INCOME LEVELS, INFRASTRUCTURE IMPROVEMENTS, INFRASTRUCTURE INVESTMENTS, INFRASTRUCTURE PROJECTS, INTERNATIONAL FUND FOR AGRICULTURAL DEVELOPMENT, INTERVENTION, IRRIGATION, LAND USE, LIQUEFIED PETROLEUM GAS, LIVELIHOOD, LIVESTOCK, LIVING STANDARDS, MEDICINE, MINIMUM WAGES, NGO, OUTCOME INDICATORS, PETROLEUM, PHYSICAL INDICATORS, PMU, POVERTY LINE, POVERTY REDUCTION, PRODUCTIVITY, PROJECT BENEFICIARIES, PROJECT IMPACTS, PROJECT MANAGEMENT, PROJECT MANAGEMENT UNIT, PROJECT OBJECTIVES, PUMPS, PURCHASING POWER, QUALITATIVE METHODS, RENEWABLE ENERGY, ROAD IMPROVEMENTS, RURAL COMMUNITIES, RURAL ELECTRIFICATION, RURAL ROADS, SANITATION, SAVINGS, SOLAR ENERGY, TARGETING, TRADEOFFS, TRANSPARENCY, TRANSPORT, UNDP, UNITED NATIONS, UNITED NATIONS DEVELOPMENT PROGRAMME, USAID, WAGES, WATER SUPPLY, WEIRS, WILLINGNESS TO PAY, WIND ENERGY,
Online Access:http://documents.worldbank.org/curated/en/2002/02/1719825/rural-infrastructure-investments-benefit-poor-evaluating-linkages-global-view-focus-vietnam
https://hdl.handle.net/10986/15607
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