Infrastructure and Connectivity
Afghanistan Rural Access Project
Our Goal
The development objective of the Afghanistan Rural Access Project (ARAP) is to enable rural communities to benefit from all season road access to basic services and facilities.
How We Deliver
The Afghanistan Rural Access Project (ARAP) is a follow-on project to the National Rural Access Program, launched by the Government of Afghanistan to support rehabilitation of rural infrastructure and livelihoods. ARAP’s development objective is to assist the Government in enabling rural communities to benefit from all-season road access to basic services and facilities through the rehabilitation and maintenance of rural access infrastructure.
ARAP is co-financed by an IDA grant of $125 million.
ARAP is implemented by the Ministry of Rural Rehabilitation and Development and Ministry of Transport.
EXPECTED RESULTS:
- Percent of rural population living within 2 km (equivalent to about a 20 minute walk) of all season roads: This is a core indicator for rural transport (also known as Rural Access Index (RAI) and captures the essence of increasing the access of the rural population to essential services.
- Reduction in travel time to essential services: All-season roads allow motor vehicles, including buses and cars, to move passengers and goods faster than by walking, riding an animal or bicycle, or using an animal-drawn vehicle.
- Increased numbers of trips to essential services: Operating motor vehicles on improved rural roads is less costly than on rough tracks; competition among operators will bring down passenger fares and charges for carrying goods, thereby stimulating more frequent travel to satisfy household and commercial needs and beyond.