Toward a sustainable transport development in Asia and the Pacific

Despite remarkable growth during the last decade, Asia and the Pacific still faces extensive basic infrastructure needs. Furthermore, to cope up with the reduced export demand from advanced economies arising out of the ongoing financial crisis, the region needs to enhance its connectivity through developing transport infrastructure at the national and regional level to rebalance its growth towards regional demand through enhancing intraregional trade. However, building massive transport infrastructure will have profound implications on environment and climate change at the national, regional and global levels as well as on scarce energy resources. This paper presents the needs and benefits of transport connectivity and financing requirement of Asian economies during 2010-2020; and analyzes the major challenges and prospects in developing sustainable transport connectivity. Finally, the paper provides policy recommendations on what the region can do to meet these challenges.