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

Songco, Jocelyn A.

World Bank, Washington, DC

关键词: RURAL INFRASTRUCTURE;    POVERTY MITIGATION;    RURAL POVERTY;    INVESTMENTS;    HOUSEHOLD WELFARE INDICATORS;   

DOI  :  10.1596/1813-9450-2796
RP-ID  :  WPS2796

学科分类：社会科学、人文和艺术（综合）

来源: World Bank Open Knowledge Repository

【 摘 要 】

What are linkages between ruralinfrastructure investments, and household welfare? In thepast, most of the evaluations to assess the effectiveness ofa project, focused on physical outputs, and success ofproject implementation. In recent years, more attention hasbeen given to the impact of investments, particularly itseffect on the poor, both in economic, and non-economicterms. The author presents findings from a survey of theexisting literature on such impacts. Although evidenceexists for improved household welfare from ruralinfrastructure investment, little evidence was found ofstudies that provided concrete linkages between specificinvestments in rural infrastructure, and increased welfareof the rural poor. This is due in part to the complexity,and oftentimes the concurrent nature of interventions, thatmake attributing welfare improvements, to a particularproject, virtually impossible. The evidence is presented inthis three-part paper. Part I gives examples of past, andcurrent attempts to assess the impact of ruralinfrastructure projects, and provides suggestions for futureevaluations. Part II discusses in detail some observedeconomic, and non-economic impacts on the poor, fromdifferent rural infrastructure interventions. Part IIIpresents lessons learned from the literature on how tomaximize the impact of rural infrastructure interventions onhousehold welfare. Specific project, and country examplesfrom the literature, and new data from a recent qualitativestudy in Vietnam, are presented as evidence for, andillustration of key ideas, and issues.