[sustran] Re: ADB in Viet Nam: Bring on the Asphalt!

[Zvi Leve]

Todd,

Thank you for forwarding that article on. I do not know enough about this
proposed highway to have an opinion on whether or not it is an "appropriate"
project for the region, but I do not share your "knee-jerk" hostility to it!

>From a developed country perspective it is difficult to imagine just how
important providing basic access is! How many agricultural regions are you
familiar with which literally are not connected to anything? Without a road,
a village has no way to join the rest of the world. This highway is not
being built to serve passenger travel alone. When it is physically
impossible to get things from point A to point B, then "environmental" and
"sustainability" considerations will often receive less weight. And
certainly when it is some westerner preaching that underdeveloped regions
should stay that way!

Certainly many multi-national companies will be receiving generous contracts
to execute the works, and it goes without saying that this will not help
lower the already skyrocketing rates of motorization which Vietnam is
experiencing.... A rail alternative would certainly be extremely expensive
as well, but it would be far less practical in terms of providing access to
a wide range of users throughout the area.... And it's not like the
companies involved in providing this option would be local ones either.

Vietnam is facing huge development challenges, and not only vis-a-vis
motorized transportation. Take a look (with an open mind) at last week's
leader in The Economist about rising food prices:
http://economist.com/opinion/displaystory.cfm?story_id=10252015

The ADB article itself specifies the reasons why a road is more appropriate
than some other type of transportation connection:

"It currently takes two days for passenger cars and three days for trucks to
travel from Kunming, PRC to Ha Noi. Once the new highway is completed in
2012, drivers will be able to make the overland trip in less than one day.

Reduced travel times will allow industries clustered around Ha Noi and Viet
Nam's major port city, Hai Phong, to expand into the country's impoverished
northwest region, increasing employment opportunities and social service
access for communities along the highway corridor.

The new highway will increase Viet Nam's ability to export agricultural and
maritime products to Yunnan province, and beyond to the huge hinterland
markets of southwestern PRC.

The highway will provide shippers in Kunming with a new channel for the
rapid shipment of products that depend on fast access to global markets, as
Viet Nam's Hai Phong and Cai Lan ports are significantly closer to Kunming
than Fangcheng port in Guangxi Province."



Cheers,

Zvi

On Dec 14, 2007 10:01 PM, <sustran-discuss-request at list.jca.apc.org> wrote:

>
> Date: Fri, 14 Dec 2007 21:39:53 +0100
> From: "Todd Edelman, Green Idea Factory" <edelman at greenidea.eu>
> Subject: [sustran] ADB in Viet Nam: Bring on the Asphalt!
> To: Sustran Resource Centre <sustran-discuss at jca.apc.org>,      Editors
>        Carbusters <editors at carbusters.org>, sandy.chan at uitp.org,
> ALLEN
>        Heather <heather.allen at uitp.com>,       SAGEVIK Margrethe
>        <sagevik at uic.asso.fr>
> Message-ID: <4762EA19.4060703 at greenidea.eu>
> Content-Type: text/plain; charset=windows-1252; format=flowed
>
>
>
>
> ++++
>
>
> WELL, at least they don't use the word "sustainable" anywhere in these
> press releases... no mention of railway, BRT, buses, public transport,
> etc. I imagine they would even if it was a small part of the scheme...
> seems like a railway for long-distance would be a better idea, and buses
> on the expressway.
>
> ... the documents linked to from here barely mention transport at all:
> <
> http://www.adb.org/Media/Articles/2007/12331-asian-climates-changes/default.asp
> >
>
> CLEARLY creating more economic opportunities is important, but Japan and
> the USA together own about 30% of the shares in the ADB, and it seems
> like a good future is being created for lorry and private automobile
> manufacturers and the oil industry...
>
> Please enlighten me - I am sure I am missing lots of important details.
>
> - T
>
> --
> --------------------------------------------
>
> Todd Edelman
> Director
> Green Idea Factory
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