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Asian
Highway (AH) projects implemented by ESCAP |
ESCAP has completed the following
projects: |
1. Promotion and Development of the Asian Highway: Upgrading of Asian Highway priority routes (2006-2007) One of the main obligations of the Contracting Parties to the Intergovernmental Agreement on the Asian Highway Network is to develop the adopted highway network in conformity with the Asian Highway classification and design standards. Among the entire 141,000 kilometres of the Asian Highway network many sections of the highway are below the agreed minimum standards. Mobilization of financial and technical resources to upgrade and improve the Asian Highway network to the requirements of international transport is a major challenge for all participating countries. In this background, the project aims to assist least developed, landlocked and transit member States as well as economies in transition in mobilizing resources towards bringing the Asian Highway network to the minimum standards, as well as to upgrade those sections which are insufficient to meet current levels of traffic demand. The project will: (a) support analytical and technical assessment of selected priority Asian Highway routes; and (b) convene regional workshop on upgrading of the Asian Highway priority Routes and a regional Asian Highway Investment Forum.
Under the project, prefeasibility study of four selected Asian Highway routes in Armenia, Bangladesh, Mongolia and Myanmar was undertaken. The study includes route assessment, traffic forecast, cost-benefit and economic analysis.
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2. Promotion and Development of the Asian Highway: Capacity building for implementation of the Intergovernmental Agreement (2005-2006) The project aims to promote and encourage governments to improve implementation and decision making on agreements related to regional transport networks, initiate public private partnerships for infrastructure development. Building on the momentum gained by the adoption and signing of the Intergovernmental Agreement on the Asian Highway Network, the project will focus on the promotion of the Intergovernmental Agreement and capacity building of policy makers, transport planners and government officials of implementing agencies in the areas of: (a) implementation and administration of the Agreement; (b) road safety; and (c) public-private initiatives for development and upgrading of international transport connections. The project will support organization of a regional Working Group Meeting and a regional expert group meeting. |
| 3. Identifying Investment Needs and Development
Priorities for the Asian Highway Network and Related Intermodal Connections
and Freight Terminals (2003 - 2004)
5. Promotion, Development and Formalization of Asian Highway (Phase IV, 2001 - 2002) 6. Joint ESCAP/UNDP Tumen secretariat study on "Indentification of priority road network and investment needs in North-East Asia for development of Tumen River Area" (2001 - 2002) 7. Study on Road Network Connecting China, Kazakstan, Mongolia, the Russian Federation and the Korean Peninsula (1998-2001) Since the Russian Federation became a new regional member ESCAP and expressed her wish to included their major national roads as parts of the regional Asian Highway network, ESCAP held studies with the major objective to identify national roads in the countries which could be included in the Asian Highway network. As the joining of ESCAP by the Russian Federation as a new regional member opened up the possibility of the development of the Northern corridor of the Asian Highway, to start from the Korean peninsula and continue across China, Mongolia, Kazakhstan, and Russian Federation to Europe, one study was concentrating on Asian Highway network in the Russian Federation and North East Asia. 8. Study on Road Network in Turkey (1998-1999) Promotion of Asian Highway was considered to increase
visibility of the Asian Highway and its potential by providing relevant
information to interested groups, such as road users, developers, road
and road financing institutions/organizations, and private sectors. Promotion
could have active impact on encouraging the use of Asian Highway, providing
incentives for related development along the Asian Highway routes, and
creating more interest in financing Asian Highway development. The promotion
of Asian Highway, therefore, is essential to facilitate its development. During the formulation of the new Asian Highway network,
it was found out that overall road conditions vary substantially from
country to country due to lack of progress in the development of national
highway networks. In some countries, substandard road condition of the
Asian Highway routes made them unsafe and inefficient from the international
transport point of view, although the highest priority routes were identified
as the international Asian Highway routes in each country. The environmental
impact of road transport was also given minimum consideration. There is,
therefore, a strong need for upgrading the Asian Highway routes in some
countries to a minimum Asian Highway standard, and measures/strategy for
the improvement of road need to be considered for further development
of Asian Highway routes. The above considerations were addressed by an
ESCAP project "Upgrading of Asian Highway Routes" (1997-1999)
funded by the Government of Japan. 11. Development of Computerized Asian Highway Database (1995-1997) During the formulation of the new AH network it was
found that highway network development and overall conditions of roads
vary substantially from country to country, and that improvement measures
needed to be considered on an individual basis. For the purpose of formulating
and prioritizing requirements for road network development in a way that
maximum impact could be achieved within limited resources, a modern functional
road database was required. |
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