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Roads and Poverty in Rural Laos

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  • Peter Warr

Abstract

The relationship between poverty incidence and road development is analyzed in this paper, in the context of rural Laos. The results indicate that improving road access is an effective way of reducing rural poverty. Between 1997-98 and 2002-03, rural poverty incidence in Laos declined by 9.5 per cent. The results suggest that about 13 per cent of this decline can be attributed to improved road access to areas already having dry season access. There is now a high return to providing dry weather access to the most isolated households of Laos - those with no road access at all.

Suggested Citation

  • Peter Warr, 2005. "Roads and Poverty in Rural Laos," Departmental Working Papers 2005-04, The Australian National University, Arndt-Corden Department of Economics.
    • Handle: RePEc:pas:papers:2005-04
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    File URL: https://crawford.anu.edu.au/acde/publications/publish/papers/wp2005/wp-econ-2005-04.pdf
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    References listed on IDEAS

    as
    1. van de Walle, Dominique, 2002. "Choosing Rural Road Investments to Help Reduce Poverty," World Development, Elsevier, vol. 30(4), pages 575-589, April.
    2. Jalan, Jyotsna & Ravallion, Martin, 1998. "Determinants of transient and chronic poverty : evidence from rural China," Policy Research Working Paper Series 1936, The World Bank.
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    5. Lanjouw, Peter, 1999. "Rural Nonagricultural Employment and Poverty in Ecuador," Economic Development and Cultural Change, University of Chicago Press, vol. 48(1), pages 91-122, October.
    6. Gibson, John & Rozelle, Scott, 2003. "Poverty and Access to Roads in Papua New Guinea," Economic Development and Cultural Change, University of Chicago Press, vol. 52(1), pages 159-185, October.
    7. Srinivasan, T N, 1986. "The Costs and Benefits of Being a Small, Remote, Island, Landlocked, or Ministate Economy," The World Bank Research Observer, World Bank, vol. 1(2), pages 205-218, July.
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    Cited by:

    1. Akee, Randall K. Q., 2006. "The Babeldaob Road: The Impact of Road Construction on Rural Labor Force Outcomes in the Republic of Palau," IZA Discussion Papers 2452, Institute of Labor Economics (IZA).
    2. World Bank, 2012. "Africa Can Help Feed Africa," World Bank Publications - Reports 26078, The World Bank Group.

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    More about this item

    Keywords

    poverty incidence; rural roads; Lao PDR.;
    All these keywords.

    JEL classification:

    • H53 - Public Economics - - National Government Expenditures and Related Policies - - - Government Expenditures and Welfare Programs
    • I32 - Health, Education, and Welfare - - Welfare, Well-Being, and Poverty - - - Measurement and Analysis of Poverty
    • O53 - Economic Development, Innovation, Technological Change, and Growth - - Economywide Country Studies - - - Asia including Middle East
    • R41 - Urban, Rural, Regional, Real Estate, and Transportation Economics - - Transportation Economics - - - Transportation: Demand, Supply, and Congestion; Travel Time; Safety and Accidents; Transportation Noise

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