Transport connectivity is an essentialpart of the enabling environment for inclusive and sustainedgrowth. In many developing countries, particularly inAfrica, the vast majority of farmers are still disconnectedfrom local, regional, and global markets. To reduce povertyand support inclusive economic growth, rural access is key.The Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) aim to buildresilient infrastructure, promote inclusive and sustainableindustrialization, and foster innovation(Goal 9), forwhichTarget 9.1 is to develop quality, reliable, sustainableandresilient infrastructure…to support economicdevelopmentand human well-being, with a focus onaffordableand equitable access for all. The Rural AccessIndex (RAI)is proposed as an indicator to measure thistarget.The definition is also simple enough to understandand usenot only in transport, but also in the broaderdevelopment context, such as poverty alleviation. In theinitial study, the RAI was estimated at 68.3 percent basedonhousehold surveys, leaving a rural population of about onebillion unconnected to a good quality road network. It isimportant to update the RAI in a timely manner anduse it inactual operations. Unfortunately, however, the previousmethodology has several disadvantages, suchas inconsistencyacross countries, lack of sustainability ofregular updates,and weak operational relevance and clientownership. Inparticular, it is generally costly to relyon a householdsurvey, which limits the sustainability ofthe index. Inaddition, the household-based approachcannot be spatiallyrepresentative enough, limiting operational usefulness. Withdifferent tools and innovative technologies, it is nowbecoming easier and very possible to collect data, updatethe condition of the road network, and revise the RAI more regularly.
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