World Bank supports upgrades in transport infrastructure

WASHINGTON (CMC):

The World Bank says its board of executive directors has approved a new project in Haiti aimed at improving resilient rural accessibility and road connectivity in the south and north departments.

The Washington-based financial institution said key roads segments targeted included National Road 2 (between Les Cayes, Saint-Louis du Sud and Port de Saint-Louis du Sud), Departmental Road 41 (in the Sud-est) in the section from Ouanaminthe towards the Dominican Republic border.

“The Haiti Resilient Corridors Project aims to support the decentralization of the country’s logistics and supply chain through the development of key road corridors for the national economy,” said Raphael Hosty, Haiti’s Minister of Public Works, Transportation, and Communications.

“The initiative seeks to establish suitable, integrated, and well-maintained transport infrastructure to foster territorial development,” he added. “The project will facilitate connections between the populations served and basic social services, including health, education, and livelihoods.

“We want to thank our partners, including the World Bank, which is providing fundamental support in the construction and rehabilitation of primary and secondary infrastructure to revitalise the local economy,” Hosty continued.

Anne-Lucie Lefebvre, World Bank country manager for Haiti, said that “Haiti’s exposure to natural hazards, coupled with vulnerable infrastructure, and a high level of environmental degradation constitute fragility drivers that can deepen poverty in the country.

FUNDAMENTAL TO BUILDING RESILIENCE

“Investment in road infrastructure is fundamental to build resilience, generate sustainable jobs and maximise access to basic services,” she said.

The World Bank said frequent and intense rainfall events, along with hurricanes, lead to flooding, landslides and storm surges that isolate entire regions, particularly during the rainy season.

In the context of public transport, the bank said women face heightened risks of harassment, assault, and robbery, particularly during the rainy season, when infrastructure is further compromised, which, in turn, limits their access to economic opportunities and essential services.

The World Bank said the US$ 80 million Haiti Resilient Corridors Project will restore and upgrade critical bridges, such as La Digue, Côte-de-Fer and Mahot, and culverts that represent the backbone of accessibility for rural communities, while improving connecting rural roads with a focus on “creating a resilient and robust road network”.

The bank said the project will also enhance the capacity of the Ministry of Public Works, Transport, and Communications to address geological and climate hazard response through the replenishment of the emergency bridge stock.

Further, the international financial institution said the project will invest in the protection and rehabilitation of existing road infrastructure to strengthen the capacity of the road network to withstand climate change and extreme weather events.