Development of rural roads in Malawi
Back in 2018, Malawi had a road network of 24,929 km, out of which 20,856 km were from gravel/earth. Road infrastructure is the most dominant mode of transport in the country, facilitating the majority of passenger and internal freight transport. However, the majority of district roads were still in poor condition and vulnerable to changes in the climate, particularly in rural areas. This inadequate road infrastructure entailed a constraint on Malawi’s growth and economic development.
In this context, the Government of Malawi intended to overcome these challenges, and several interventions took place in the country to improve the quality and further develop the country’s road infrastructure. One of them, implemented by NTU, was the EU-funded “Technical Assistance to Rural Roads Improvement Programme” project. With a duration of 40 months (from 2018 to 2021) and a budget of EUR 2.765.650, it aimed at providing technical assistance to establish organisational financial and technical arrangements which created sustainable conditions for roads management at the district level in Malawi.
Implementation
NTU implemented different activities to support the Ministry of Transport and Public Works (MTPW) which consisted of the establishment of policies, institutions, and other technical and financial systems.
In particular, NTU supported the rehabilitation of 1,200 km of district roads in 12 selected districts through labour-based reshaping, spot improvements and bridge works. For that, we developed technical standards for district roads, as well as appropriate manuals, guidelines and other tools required by district councils and agencies working on road maintenance. Standard tender documents for procurement of construction and maintenance works at the district level were prepared.
NTU also advised and supported the MTPW in elaborating and operationalising its policy and strategies on rural roads, in particular the Devolution Strategy. Advice was provided in relation to handling human and physical resources, setting out the institutional framework for rural roads improvement and maintenance, and developing systems for annual planning and prioritisation of road maintenance.
Additionally, activities were undertaken for the improvement of the capacities of the stakeholders at different levels. For this purpose, NTU has implemented capacity building actions, such as training, on-the-job support, workshops, etc., targeting:
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District-level institutions to enhance human and organisational capacities regarding planning, managing and monitoring rural roads rehabilitation and maintenance at the district level.
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Senior staff at the national level regarding innovative technical and institutional aspects in rural roads rehabilitation and maintenance for sustainability.
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Technical workers involved in road rehabilitation and maintenance at the district level and below.
Impact
The work of NTU within this project contributed to creating sustainable conditions for rural roads in the context of devolution of responsibilities for the management of district roads. With the support provided, the districts in Malawi are empowered in the management of the road networks, contributing to the future improvement of road infrastructure in the rural areas. This can have an immediate impact on the linkages of the rural population to markets through access to economic and social resources thanks to rehabilitated and sustainably maintained rural roads.
SDGs
