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Ex-post Evaluation

Asia

1. Outline of the Project

Country:

Pakistan

Project title:

Project for Construction of Bridges in the Northwest Frontier Province

Issue/Sector:

Roads

Cooperation Scheme:

Grant Aid

Division in Charge:

Grant Aid Management Department

Total Cost:

543 million yen

Period of Cooperation

FY 1993-1995

Partner Country’s Implementing Organization:

Communication and Works Department, Government of the North West Frontier Province(W&S)

Supporting Organization in Japan:

Related Cooperation:

1-1 Background of the Project

The North West Frontier Province (NWFP) borders Afghanistan on its north and west borders, with a population of approximately 19 million over an area of 107,000?. The economy relies primarily on agriculture and forestry. Since it is mountainous land, the region is divided by many valleys and rivers, and its development lags behind that of other provinces. Roads were particularly underdeveloped, since construction was restricted by the province’s topography, and there were only 0. 2?/? of road per unit area, which was very short. Most bridges spanning the valleys were narrow hanging bridges made of wood, over which vehicles could not pass. So cargo transport was reliant on human labor and livestock. This made it very difficult to transport fresh products to market and to bring in the essential commodities for the local residents. The government of Pakistan established a plan to build 200 bridges to improve the standard of living of NWFP residents and facilitate regional development. However, the government was not able to come up with an adequate budget, and therefore requested Grant Aid cooperation from the Japanese government to construct 20 of these 200 bridges.

1-2 Project Overview

Grant aid was provided to replace 11 existing bridges connecting various regions in the province.

(1) Overall Goal
To improve the standard of life of residents in the target areas and revitalize the regional economies.

(2) Project Purpose
To improve transportation convenience both within and without the target regions.

(3) Output
Vehicles traffic at various routes become possibel throughout the year.

(4) Input

Japanese Side:

543 million yen (1993 D/D: 14 million yen, 1994: 230 million yen, 1995: 299 million yen)

Pakistan Side:

Land and facilities

2. Evaluation Team

Members of Evaluation Team

Arooj Anwer
Tariq Moj, Semiotics Consultants (Pvt. ) Limited

Period of Evaluation

January 1, 2003 – January 31, 2003

Ex-Post Evaluation by Overseas Office

3. Results of Evaluation

3-1 Summary of Evaluation Results

(1) Impact
The targeted bridges in the project covered a very large area, and due to time restraints, local studies in the areas surrounding Totakan Bridge and Nariali Bridge,(two of the eleven bridges targeted in the project), were carried out, and questionnaires were distributed in other areas. The results are summarized below.

Over 20 villages in the vicinity of Totakan Bridge are direct beneficiaries of the bridge construction. Vehicles can cross the bridge, and public buses have also begun service. Previously, it took women and children several hours to walk to medical facilities, but by bus and car it only takes 10-15 minutes. Also, it used to take two to three hours to deliver emergency patients to the hospital, but this has been cut down to 10-15 minutes. According to interviews at the Totakan Hospital, the vaccination rate improved and the number of outpatients increased 50-60% due to the improved access to the hospital.

The villages around Totakan Bridge only have elementary schools, and students did not go on to middle school and high school before the bridge was completed. Although figures cannot be confirmed, children from villages in the targeted region now attend high school and use the bridge to get there. Interviews at Totakan High School showed that the number of students has raised 20-25% since the bridge was built.

The bridge construction has enabled cargo to be transported by car regularly regardless of the weather, and has animated economic activities. Previously, transportation of fresh products was impossible, but now vegetables harvested in the neighboring Punjab Province can be brought to market. This changed farmers’ perspectives and they began growing vegetables as cash crops. These are transported and sold in large markets in other regions, and production increases every year as word gets out. Residents in the areas around Nariali Bridge are now able to distribute the soapstone produced in the region around the country.

As the economy became more vibrant, residents’ job opportunities have increased and gained in variety. After the bridge was constructed, there was an increase in employment in the transport business. For instance, employment in the construction industry increased now that heavy machinery was able to transport construction materials and equipment.

There was also an impact on women. Before the bridge was constructed they did not go to the hospital unless the symptoms were serious, but after the bridge was completed women even visited the hospital for treatment of mild cases. Female children can now attend school higher than the middle school level. Although they are still few in number, women run shops and can earn their own income. Women are speaking out on their own opinions as well - a phenomenon that was nonexistent before the bridges were built.

The residents’ awareness of the importance of regional development has improved, and they formed Village Committees on their own initiative. They took charge of the procedures involved in obtaining land to use as roads and organized the construction. In Totakan, the Road Committee built a 5km road linking the villages by themselves.

(2) Sustainability
Overall the 11 bridges and access roads targeted in the project are all in good condition. On the other hand, the government of Pakistan has not yet laid the road linking the Totakan Bridge to the regional roads that were originally planned, nor did it repair the road near the Nariali Bridge, which was damaged in a landslide.

All W&S technicians are very skilled and have a great deal of experience, so there are no problems with technology. Also, the project carried out training targeting local consultants employed in bridge construction. It built hanging bridges requiring the use of advanced technology and construction methods that are relatively new to Pakistan over rivers spanning over 70m, so that in the future, the NWFP can build such bridges on their own.

W&S’s fiscal situation is so tight that they do not have an adequate O&M budget and they intend only to deal with the serious problems. They do not have a place to procure funds and no strategy for doing so. O&M work such as repainting the iron bridges regularly and replacing the access roads every 7 to 10 years would prolong the structural life of the bridge. As 10 years have passed since the project was completed, they should review ways to secure a budget for this kind of work.

3-2 Factors that Promoted the Realization of Effects

(1) Factors Concerning the Planning
W&S requested cooperation from residents in obtaining land used for roads when the bridge was built. So, they formed village committees on their own initiative, took charge of the procedures involved in obtaining land to use for roads and organized the construction.

(2) Factors Concerning the Implementation Process
In Totakan, the Road Committee built a 5km road linking the villages themselves. The understanding and cooperation of the residents led to the project’s impact.

3-3 Factors that impeded realization of effects

(1) Factors Concerning the Planning
N/A

(2) Factors Concerning the Implementation Process
The government of Pakistan has not yet laid the road linking the regional roads that were originally planned for the Totakan Bridge. Part of the problem is that the road network has not been improved due to fiscal restraints.

3-4 Conclusion

The bridges and access road for which Japan provided aid are maintained in good condition. Regarding sustainability, it is essential that a budget be secured to maintain the access roads.

Positive impact includes the import of agricultural products from neighboring states and more motivation on the part of regional farmers to produce cash crops. Access to medical and educational facilities improved, and the number of hospital outpatients and students attending school past the middle school level increased. Economic activities were revitalized, and residents were employed in a greater variety of jobs. There were also unexpected impacts, such as the improvement in the residents’ understanding of the importance of regional development and residents’ efforts to build roads linking the villages.

3-5 Recommendations

(1) Measures to maintain the access roads and address the damage done by landslides must be devised for an efficient effect of the project.

(2) To ensure that the bridges are maintained in good condition and can be used for a long period of time, inspections should be done regularly and a system developed to carry out O&M appropriately.

3-6 Lessons Learned

(1) NWFP, the region targeted in the project is divided by many valleys and rivers, and it was not rare that some areas are isolated for several months when precipitous mountain roads running alongside rivers are closed to traffic temporarily during the winter season when the snow piles up and during the rainy season when roads collapse and the rivers swell with water. It was difficult for vehicles to cross the narrow hanging bridges made of wood, and people and donkeys transported cargo. Making it possible for people to travel on these routes throughout the year in vehicles has a significant social impact and major benefits for the region’s residents. Projects such as this that promote regional development should be encouraged and prioritized in the future.

(2) In the project, W&S requested the residents to help in obtaining land for use as roads, and they formed Village Committees and Road Committees on their own initiative. Supporting maintenance the areas around the bridge promoted to implement the project. In the future, it is necessary to consider from the stage of planning project to introduce approach that residents participate.

3-7 Follow-up Situation

N/A

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