Developing and testing a participatory methodology for district road network planning in Nepal | |
| Author | Shrestha, Chandra Bahadra |
| Call Number | AIT Diss no.RD-02-01 |
| Subject(s) | Highway planning--Nepal Transportation--Nepal--Planning |
| Note | A dissertation submitted in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of Doctor of Philosophy, School of Environment, Resources and Development |
| Publisher | Asian Institute of Technology |
| Series Statement | Dissertation; no. RD-02-01 |
| Abstract | The transport sector has received high priority since the 1950s in the economic history of Nepal. However, modalities of road construction have been shifting during the last few decades to cope with the changing requirements. From the early 1990s, the country has embarked on the policy of developing the district level roads using the labor-based technology. Due to lack of an appropriate methodology for planning the networks, the district level roads are constructed in a haphazard manner, which are less productive from economic and social viewpoints. Therefore, the broad objective of this study was to develop a methodology for planning and prioritizing the district road networks. Other specific objectives include to assess the strengths and weaknesses of the existing district level transport planning process, to propose an appropriate methodology based on the "state of the art" in the field of rural and regional transportation and adapted district reality in Nepal. To test the methodology and to recommend a computer-aided model for planning and prioritizing the district road networks were other objectives of this study. The relevant literature on road networking, estimation of the transpo1t demand, different technological options and techniques for assessing the benefits were reviewed. Besides that, the models for planning and prioritizing the rural and regional road network were analyzed. For analyzing the district level planning and implementation situation, the policy makers and engineers of the sample districts were interviewed. An open-ended interview was taken with experts and practitioners in the field of transportation. Based on the strengths and weaknesses of the districts and the "state of the art" in the field of rural transportation, a methodology for developing the district road network planning was developed. The methodology has two versions, the first was designed for the developed area and the second was designed for the underdeveloped area. The methodology was translated into a computer-aided model for the developed and underdeveloped areas. The model was tested in the Nawalparasi District of Nepal. The proposed methodology experimented with the gravity model by combining a centrality index with population and distance data. The network for the developed area was designed based on the shortest path analysis among the nodal points. The methodology established the argument that volume of transport demand is a function of the intensity of interaction. The methodology has provision for estimating the construction cost and assessing the benefits from the improved access. The economic indicators based on direct benefits were used for prioritizing the roads in the developed areas. The socio-economic criteria were used for prioritizing the roads in the underdeveloped areas. In order to adjust the geometric and pavement design of a road, the economic appraisal was introduced as a supplementary appraisal technique for the underdeveloped areas. The District Road Planning and Prioritization Model (DRPM) was developed based on the proposed methodology. The model for the developed area is comprised of a networking module, a demand estimation module, a cost estimation module, a benefit estimation module and a prioritization module. The DRPM for the underdeveloped area has a networking module, a cost estimation module and a prioritization module. The DRPM was tested in the Nawalparasi district. The test results in the Nawalparasi district showed that the model is efficient and cost-effective. Therefore, it is expected that the model will be useful for district transportation planners of Nepal and other developing countries. |
| Year | 2002 |
| Corresponding Series Added Entry | Asian Institute of Technology. Dissertation; no. RD-02-01 |
| Type | Dissertation |
| School | School of Environment, Resources, and Development (SERD) |
| Department | Department of Development and Sustainability (DDS) |
| Academic Program/FoS | Rural Development, Gender and Resources (RD) |
| Chairperson(s) | Routray, Jayant K.;Kammeier, H. Detlef; |
| Examination Committee(s) | Sano, Kazushi;Ogunlana, Stephen O.;Takahashi, Kiyoshi;Howe, John D. G. F.; |
| Scholarship Donor(s) | International Labour Organisation (ASIST-AP); AIT;ICIMOD; |
| Degree | Thesis (Ph.D.) - Asian Institute of Technology, 2002 |