ABSTRACT

This chapter presents development assistance to transportation in Asian developing countries. First, a current global trend encountered by many governments in Asia and international donor communities is summarized with their motivations for transportation investment in the developing world. Next, the past history of development assistance in Asia, including the contributions of official development assistance (ODA) and a case of Japan’s ODA is described. The past aids to Asian transportation by major donors are also reviewed using a statistical dataset. Then the direct effects of transportation infrastructure are explained with an identification of current major transportation problems in Asia, which is followed by standard solutions for rural areas, small- and middle-scale cities, and megacities under a transportation planning/master plan approach; and indirect effects relating the economic growth and transportation disadvantage are shown with empirical evidence. Finally, the challenges of development assistance are discussed, particularly highlighting development assistance incorporating unique characteristics in the Asian transportation market.