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The Impacts of Road Construction on Livelihoods in Manang

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The Impacts of Road Construction on Livelihoods in Manang On the Road to Development: The Impacts of Road Construction on Livelihoods in Manang Clemens Rossmanith Master Thesis Supervised by Dr. Robert Steiger & Univ.-Prof. Dr. Bruno Abegg University of Innsbruck Institute of Geography Faculty of Geo- and Atmospheric Sciences June 2018 Abstract Development has been and continues to be the top priority of many states in the Global South. Especially in rural areas, road connection is regarded as a vital step towards economic advancement and poverty alleviation both by the donor agencies and the recipient states. In scientific literature, doubt is casted on the direct connectivity of rural road construction and development. Numerous case studies indicate that the accruing effects are not necessarily positive, but rather either minimal or even adverse. The global trend of infrastructure expansion is prominent in Nepal, where the government is aiming to connect remote mountain regions with the national road network. The present thesis focuses on the impacts of the Chame-Kangsar road on the livelihoods of different social groups in the Marsyangdi valley and specifically, the village of Manang. Further interest lies on the political and institutional backgrounds, environmental effects, and the consequences for trekking tourism in the region. To gain greater insight regarding the aforementioned concerns, semi-structured interviews, participant observation in field, a thematic mapping and a household survey were conducted. The results show that generally valid, universal statements on the impacts cannot be made. Firstly, the impacts vary greatly between villages due to their location in the region and the associated role in the tourism system. Secondly, the results of the Manang village case study show that the economic opportunities and benefits facilitated by the road are unevenly distributed within the community as well. The tourism sector in Manang is profiting from, and adapting to increased arrival numbers and a prolonged length of stay, while the lower parts of the region suffer from a significant loss of business. According to the government agencies and the project donors, low socioeconomic populations are expected to benefit the most from the road. Within Manang however, the livelihood strategies of these populations remain relatively unaffected. Therefore, it is concluded that building roads is not sufficient. This study increases the understanding of the impacts of rural road construction in Nepal. The findings implicate that complementary measures should be taken to enhance widespread benefits for low socioeconomic populations. i Acknowledgements I wish to express my gratitude for the help and assistance of the people who contributed to the completion of this thesis. I would like to thank my supervisors Dr. Robert Steiger and Univ.-Prof. Dr. Bruno Abegg for encouraging me to combine my passion for Nepal with the work on the master’s thesis and for your support and guidance in the whole process. To Univ.-Prof. Dr. Kurt Luger, thank you for giving me the opportunity to work for Ecohimal in Nepal, for your consultation in the topic selection, and for your general encouragement since 2015. To Eva Posch, thank you for your clear thinking, your scientific and personal advice and for your ongoing support throughout my work on the thesis. I really appreciate that you helped me every time when I needed it. Next, I would like to thank Narayan Dhakal and the rest of the Ecohimal staff for the hospitality, the support, and the friendship which helped me a lot during my stay in Nepal. To Prof. Bhim Subedi, thank you for your time, your help, and the book you gave me. To my friends in Nepal, Ravindra, Barsha Didi and her family, Sumit and Shristi, a huge Danyabaad for letting me be part of your life. Thank you for introducing me to your culture and for making me feel at home. To my host family in Kathmandu, Pranil, Punam, Prasamsa and Prasanna, thank you for everything you did for me. Thank you Pranil for providing me with contacts and helping me with the organisation of my field work. Thank you Punam for your uplifting nature, the Nepali lessons and the unrivalled Dal Bath you made. ii I would like to thank all my interview partners in Nepal who took their time to answer my questions. Furthermore, I would like to express my deep gratitude for the Nepalese people I encountered in 2015 and 2017. You taught me a great deal - not only about road construction. To my roommates in Innsbruck and Munich and my friends, thank you for always being there for me and the for having a beer with me after long days in front of the laptop. To Vince and Nicole, thank you for proofreading and the feedback. To my sister upon whom I can always rely – you’re the best! To my parents, thank you for encouraging me to go my own way. My studies would not have been possible without your emotional and financial support. Lastly, I would also like to thank the University of Innsbruck for their award of the KWA-scholarship. iii Table of contents 1. Introduction .......................................................................................................... 1 1.1 Statement of the problem .............................................................................. 2 1.2 An introduction to Nepal, Manang and the studied road ................................ 4 1.3 Objective and research question ................................................................... 6 1.4 Thesis Structure ............................................................................................ 7 2. Theory, concepts and frameworks ....................................................................... 9 2.1 History of development .................................................................................. 9 2.1.1 From “civilization” to “development” ........................................................ 9 2.1.2. Post-war decades .................................................................................... 10 2.1.2 Dependency theory ............................................................................... 12 2.1.3 Theories of middle range ...................................................................... 12 2.1.4 Development crisis and neoliberalization .............................................. 13 2.1.5 Sustainable development ...................................................................... 14 2.1.6 From MDGs to SDGs ............................................................................ 16 2.1.7 Conclusion ............................................................................................ 18 2.2 Rural road construction, development and poverty ..................................... 19 iv 2.2.1 The development-road construction nexus over time ........................... 19 2.3 Road construction and development in Nepal ............................................. 23 2.3.1 History ................................................................................................... 23 2.3.2 Rural road’s impacts ............................................................................. 32 2.4 Roads as coupled social and ecological systems ........................................ 37 2.5 Rural roads and livelihoods ......................................................................... 41 3. Methodology ...................................................................................................... 47 3.1 Research approach ..................................................................................... 49 3.2 Kathmandu and Pokhara ............................................................................. 50 3.2.1 Interviews: sampling, design and practice ............................................ 51 3.2.2 Secondary data collection ..................................................................... 53 3.3 From Besisahar to Manang ......................................................................... 53 3.4 Manang village ............................................................................................ 54 3.4.1 Participant observation ......................................................................... 55 3.4.2 Interviews and mapping ........................................................................ 56 3.4.3 Questionnaire survey ............................................................................ 57 3.5 Role of the researcher and ethical considerations ....................................... 60 3.6 Language & Translation .............................................................................. 61 v 3.7 Limitations and comprises during fieldwork ................................................. 62 4. The study area ................................................................................................... 63 4.1 Geographical setting .................................................................................... 66 4.2 Evolvement of different livelihood strategies ............................................... 68 4.2.1 Agro-pastoralism ................................................................................... 69 4.2.2 Trade and outmigration ......................................................................... 69 4.2.3 Tourism ................................................................................................. 72 4.2.4 Recapitulation ....................................................................................... 76 4.3 Road construction on the ACT ...................................................................
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