DOCSLIB.ORG

Connecting to Thrive Herrera Dappe, Kunaka

Total Page：16

File Type：pdf, Size：1020Kb

Download full-text PDF Read full-text
Connecting to Thrive Herrera Dappe, Kunaka Connecting Thrive to Connecting to Thrive Challenges and Opportunities of Transport Integration in Herrera Dappe, Kunaka Eastern South Asia Matías Herrera Dappe and Charles Kunaka, Editors INTERNATIONAL DEVELOPMENT IN FOCUS INTERNATIONAL INTERNATIONAL DEVELOPMENT IN FOCUS Connecting to Thrive Challenges and Opportunities of Transport Integration in Eastern South Asia MATÍAS HERRERA DAPPE AND CHARLES KUNAKA, EDITORS © 2021 International Bank for Reconstruction and Development / The World Bank 1818 H Street NW, Washington, DC 20433 Telephone: 202-473-1000; Internet: www.worldbank.org Some rights reserved 1 2 3 4 23 22 21 20 Books in this series are published to communicate the results of Bank research, analysis, and operational experience with the least possible delay. The extent of language editing varies from book to book. This work is a product of the staff of The World Bank with external contributions. The findings, inter- pretations, and conclusions expressed in this work do not necessarily reflect the views of The World Bank, its Board of Executive Directors, or the governments they represent. The World Bank does not guarantee the accuracy of the data included in this work. The boundaries, colors, denominations, and other informa- tion shown on any map in this work do not imply any judgment on the part of The World Bank concerning the legal status of any territory or the endorsement or acceptance of such boundaries. Nothing herein shall constitute or be considered to be a limitation upon or waiver of the privileges and immunities of The World Bank, all of which are specifically reserved. Rights and Permissions This work is available under the Creative Commons Attribution 3.0 IGO license (CC BY 3.0 IGO) http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0/igo. Under the Creative Commons Attribution license, you are free to copy, distribute, transmit, and adapt this work, including for commercial purposes, under the following conditions: Attribution—Please cite the work as follows: Herrera Dappe, Matías, and Charles Kunaka, eds. 2021. Connecting to Thrive: Challenges and Opportunities of Transport Integration in Eastern South Asia. International Development in Focus. Washington, DC: World Bank. doi: 10.1596/978-1-4648-1635-2. License: Creative Commons Attribution CC BY 3.0 IGO Translations—If you create a translation of this work, please add the following disclaimer along with the attribution: This translation was not created by The World Bank and should not be considered an official World Bank translation. The World Bank shall not be liable for any content or error in this translation. Adaptations—If you create an adaptation of this work, please add the following disclaimer along with the attribution: This is an adaptation of an original work by The World Bank. Views and opinions expressed in the adaptation are the sole responsibility of the author or authors of the adaptation and are not endorsed by The World Bank. Third-party content—The World Bank does not necessarily own each component of the content con- tained within the work. The World Bank therefore does not warrant that the use of any third-party-owned individual component or part contained in the work will not infringe on the rights of those third parties. The risk of claims resulting from such infringement rests solely with you. If you wish to re-use a component of the work, it is your responsibility to determine whether permission is needed for that re-use and to obtain permission from the copyright owner. Examples of components can include, but are not limited to, tables, figures, or images. All queries on rights and licenses should be addressed to World Bank Publications, The World Bank Group, 1818 H Street NW, Washington, DC 20433, USA; e-mail: [email protected]. ISBN: 978-1-4648-1635-2 DOI: 10.1596/978-1-4648-1635-2 Cover photo: © J. Erik Nora / World Bank. Used with the permission; further permission required for reuse. Cover design: Debra Naylor / Naylor Design Inc. Contents Foreword vii Acknowledgments ix About the Editors and Authors xi Abbreviations xv Overview 1 Matías Herrera Dappe and Charles Kunaka Making the border irrelevant can deliver significant gains 4 Regional and domestic building blocks are needed to achieve effective seamless regional connectivity 6 Experience with transport integration agreements yields valuable lessons 7 The motor vehicles agreement is an important first step that can be improved 10 Seamless connectivity requires better transport infrastructure and services 18 Local benefits can be enhanced 22 Summary and concluding remarks 25 Notes 26 References 27 Chapter 1 Identifying the Gaps: An Assessment of the Motor Vehicles Agreement 29 Charles Kunaka International approaches to the regulation of road transport services 30 Regulation of road transport services in South Asia 34 Methodology for assessing the motor vehicles agreement 35 Strengthening the motor vehicles agreement 41 Summary and concluding remarks 45 References 46 Chapter 2 Analysis of Route and Mode Transport Choice in Eastern South Asia Following Integration Agreements 49 Gerard de Jong, Manish Sharma, Marco Kouwenhoven, Gijs van Eck, Yashar Araghi, Rachit Mittal, Mayank Pratap, Matías Herrera Dappe, and Megersa Abate Existing corridors, routes, and mode choice 51 Methodological approach and data 56 iii iv | Connecting TO THRIVE Results of mode and route choice model estimation 61 Simulation results for the analysis of mode and route choice 66 Summary and concluding remarks 74 Annex 2.A Survey 76 Annex 2.B Calibrated elasticities 78 Annex 2.C Level-of-service attributes 79 Notes 80 References 80 Chapter 3 Economic Gains and Losses from Integrating Road Transport between Bangladesh and India 83 Matías Herrera Dappe, Mathilde Lebrand, and Diana Van Patten Wider economic benefits of regional corridors 84 Assessing the wider economic benefits of integrating road transport services with a spatial general equilibrium model 85 Economic gains from the motor vehicles agreement 88 Economic gains from full regional integration 92 Gains from regional integration and labor mobility 95 Summary and concluding remarks 96 Annex 3.A Model and calibration 98 Notes 100 References 100 Chapter 4 Maximizing Rural Spillovers of Regional Corridors: A Case Study of Bangladesh 103 Charles Kunaka, Niklas Sieber, and Roman Constantin Skorzus Regional and local dimensions of connectivity 104 Enhancing local connectivity: a case study 111 Summary and concluding remarks 116 Annex 4.A Data requirements for implementing the analytical model 118 References 119 Chapter 5 Enhancing Women’s Opportunities in Export-Oriented Agricultural Value Chains in Bangladesh 123 Muneeza Mehmood Alam, Ursula Casabonne, Barbara Coello, and Gaia Hatzfeldt Purpose, methodology, and conceptual framework 124 Women’s participation in export-oriented agricultural value chains 126 Characteristics of the cut flower, mango, and fish farming value chains 127 Challenges faced by producers 130 Mapping women’s participation in three value chains 133 Factors limiting women’s participation in value chains 136 Opportunities for women in cross-border trade 139 Policy considerations 141 Summary and concluding remarks 144 Notes 145 References 145 Boxes 1.1 The three main elements of international transport agreements: The vehicle, the driver, and the load 33 2.1 Stated-preference experiments 57 5.1 Opening up opportunities for women as cross-border traders 139 Contents | v Figures O.1 Average trade costs between Bangladesh and India and between each country and Germany in 2010–17 2 O.2 Building blocks for effective seamless regional connectivity 6 O.3 Correlation between real income gains in Bangladesh and India under full integration and the Motor Vehicles Agreement, by district and state 17 O.4 Actual versus free-flow travel time in Bangladesh, by corridor 19 3.1 Intermediate outcomes and wider economic benefits of a corridor intervention package 84 3.2 Spatial inequality in wages in Bangladesh and India 89 3.3 Correlations between real income gains in Bangladesh and India under full integration and the MVA, by district and state 95 3.4 Spatial inequality in wages in Bangladesh and India 95 4.1 Analytical framework for corridors and local connectivity 105 4.2 Traders’ perceptions of obstacles to business operation in Bangladesh 109 5.1 Cut flower value chain in Bangladesh 128 5.2 Mango value chain in Bangladesh 129 5.3 Fish farming value chain in Bangladesh 130 Maps O.1 Connectivity network in northeast India 2 O.2 Nighttime light intensity per capita in India and Bangladesh 3 O.3 Predicted percentage changes in real income in Bangladeshi districts and Indian states under full transport integration 5 O.4 Predicted freight traffic between northeast India and rest of India in 2025 under integration 12 O.5 Predicted freight traffic of exports from and imports to northeast India in 2025 under integration 13 O.6 Predicted bilateral freight traffic in 2025 under integration 15 O.7 Predicted percentage changes in real income in Bangladesh and India from the Motor Vehicles Agreement 16 O.8 Predicted percentage changes in number of workers in Bangladesh and India following adoption of the Motor Vehicles Agreement 23 2.1 Industrial clusters and the connectivity network in northeast India 52 2.2 Potential new route and mode choices following implementation of integration agreements 56 2.3 Predicted freight traffic between northeast India and rest of India in 2025 if agreements are implemented 69 2.4 Predicted freight traffic of exports from
Load more

Recommended publications
  • The Price of Power the Political Economy of Electricity Trade and Hydropower in Eastern South Asia
    THE PRICE OF POWER THE POLITICAL ECONOMY OF ELECTRICITY TRADE AND HYDROPOWER IN EASTERN SOUTH ASIA June 2018 THE PRICE OF POWER THE POLITICAL ECONOMY OF ELECTRICITY TRADE AND HYDROPOWER IN EASTERN SOUTH ASIA June 2018 By The Asia Foundation 114 Jor Bagh, First Floor New Delhi – 110003 E-mail: [email protected] Website: http://asiafoundation.org/ Suggested citation Pillai, Aditya Valiathan and Sagar Prasai. 2018. The Price of Power: The political economy of electricity trade and hydropower in eastern South Asia. The Asia Foundation, New Delhi. Disclaimer This publication has been funded by the Australian Government through the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade. The views expressed in this publication are the authors’ alone and are not necessarily the views of the Australian Government. Design & Printed by: Vinset Advertising, New Delhi Contents Overview 1 Introduction 3 The evolution of regional electricity markets 7 Guidelines and geopolitics 11 A survey of demand for Himalayan hydropower 20 Conclusion 33 References 35 Overview n the winter of 2016, India's ministry of power issued guidelines that defined the limits of electricity trade with South Asian neighbors. In a phraseological departure from earlier Idocuments on regional power cooperation, it called electricity a 'strategic' commodity. This is with reason. Electricity's central role in economic growth makes it a focal point for contestations in democratic politics across the world, and it is no different in South Asia. The interdependencies created by regional electricity markets can diversify the generation pool and reduce the cost of electricity, but, like all forms of regional cooperation, they are also a vulnerability.
    [Show full text]
  • India's Role in Facilitating Trade Under SAFTA
    Working Paper 263 India’s Role in Facilitating Trade under SAFTA Nisha Taneja Shravani Prakash Pallavi Kalita January 2013 INDIAN COUNCIL FOR RESEARCH ON INTERNATIONAL ECONOMIC RELATIONS Contents Abstract ........................................................................................................................... i Executive Summary ...................................................................................................... ii 1. Introduction ............................................................................................................. 1 2. Liberalisation of Tariffs under SAFTA and India’s Bilateral FTAs ................. 2 2.1 India Pakistan ...................................................................................................... 2 2.2 India -Bangladesh ............................................................................................... 3 2.3 India-Nepal .......................................................................................................... 4 2.4 India- Sri Lanka .................................................................................................. 5 3. Non-Tariff Barriers ................................................................................................. 6 4. Transport .................................................................................................................. 8 4.1 Road Transport .................................................................................................... 8 4.2 Rail Transport ...................................................................................................
    [Show full text]
  • Transit and Border Trade Barriers in South Asia
    6 Transit and Border Trade Barriers in South Asia Prabir De, Sachin Chaturvedi, and Abdur Rob Khan1 1. INTRODUCTION he world has been witnessing the 25th anniversary of the advent of the South Asian Association of Regional Cooperation (SAARC) T in 2009. With the conversion of South Asia Preferential Trade Agreement (SAPTA) into South Asia Free Trade Agreement (SAFTA) in 2006, South Asia is now looking for a Customs Union in 2015 and an Economic Union in 2020. Except Afghanistan and Bhutan, rest South Asian countries are members of the World Trade Organization (WTO) and have been practicing the Most Favored Nation (MFN) principles with an exception of India and Pakistan. It is envisaged that SAFTA will lead the growth in intraregional formal trade from US$11 billion in 2007 to US$40 billion by 2015 (RIS 2008). However, in reality, South Asia is far from realizing its trade potential. One of the critical factors preventing South Asia from achieving its full potential is the absence of regional transit trade.2 Unlike the European Union, South Asian countries do not have a regional transit arrangement, although partial transit exists for landlocked countries such as Afghanistan, Bhutan, and Nepal. 140 Prabir De, Sachin Chaturvedi, and Abdur Rob Khan In order to reduce regional and multilateral trade transportation costs, the South Asian countries have been trying to integrate the region through improved connectivity including a regional transit arrangement. A regional transit means a stronger multilateral transit. However, the challenges
    [Show full text]
  • Status of Transport Connectivity Including Transit Facilitation In
    WELCOME 1 Welcome to THE COUNTRY PRESENTATION OF BANGLADESH 2 Contents of the Presentation 1.General Overview 2.Trade Scenario between Participating Countries 3. Cross- Border and Transit Transport by Land a. Roads b. Train 4. Present status and Challenges. 5. Legal Basis 6. Transport Facilitation Measures 7. Existing Challenges. 8. Suggestions 9. Conclusion General Overview • Area : 1,47,570 sq. kilo miters • Population : 152.70 million (2011) • Total GDP : US$ 150 billion (Aug, 2013) • GDP Per Capita: US$ 1044 (Aug, 2013) • Total Exports : US$ 27.02 billion (FY2012-13) • Total Imports : US$ 33.98 billon (FY2012-13) • Capital : Dhaka • Bangladesh achieved average 6% GDP growth during last five years. 4 Trade Scenario between Participating Countries Trade with Participating Countries F/Y 2012-13 (value in million US$) COUNTRY EXPORT IMPORT BALANCE OF TRADE Afghanistan 3.57 2.30 1.27 Pakistan 68.70 489.80 (-) 421.10 Iran 75.42 7.10 68.32 Bhutan 1.82 24.70 (-) 22.88 Turkey 637.81 224 413.81 Myanmar 13.67 84.10 (-) 70.43 India 536.96 4776.80 (-) 4212.84 Nepal 26.41 35.70 (-) 9.29 Trade with Participating Countries (Value in million US$) Land Ports of Bangladesh • In Bangladesh 21 Land Customs Stations have been declared as Land Port. Major L.P. are: 1. Benapole 2. Burimari 3. Akhaura 4. Sonamosjid 5. Hili 6. Teknaf 7. Bibirbazar 12 L.P.are managed by Bangladesh Land Port Authority, 06 L. P. are operated under BOT. Land Port Wise Trade(2011-12) (In million M.T.) NAME OF THE EXPORT IMPORT TOTAL PORT BENAPOLE 4.64 12.12 16.76 BURIMARI - 3.57 3.57 AKHAURA 5.75 .0017 5.7517 SONAMOSJID - 14.02 14.02 HILI 0.1072 6.03 6.1732 TEKNAF .0063 .85 .8563 BIBIRBAZAR 1.25 - 1.25 Port Wise Export and Import (In million MT) LEGAL BASIS OF ROADS CONNECTIVITY Procedure for Monitoring of entry/exit of Nepalese Vehicles through Phulbari- Bangladesh L.C.S.
    [Show full text]
  • Cachar District
    [TO BE PUBLISHED IN THE GAZETTE OF INDIA, EXTRAORDINARY, PART II SECTION 3, SUB SECTION (II)] GOVERNMENT OF INDIA MINISTRY OF FINANCE (DEPARTMENT OF REVENUE) Notification No. 45/2010 - CUSTOMS (N.T.) 4th JUNE, 2010. 14 JYESTHA, 1932 (SAKA) S.O. 1322 (E). - In exercise of the powers conferred by clauses (b) and (c) of section 7 of the Customs Act, 1962 (52 of 1962), the Central Government hereby makes the following further amendment(s) in the notification of the Government of India in the Ministry of Finance (Department of Revenue), No. 63/94-Customs (NT) ,dated the 21st November, 1994, namely:- In the said notification, for the Table, the following Table shall be substituted, namely;- TABLE S. Land Land Customs Routes No. Frontiers Stations (1) (2) (3) (4) 1. Afghanistan (1) Amritsar Ferozepur-Amritsar Railway Line (via Railway Station Pakistan) (2) Delhi Railway Ferozepur-Delhi Railway Line. Station 2. Bangladesh CALCUTTA AND HOWRAH AREA (1) Chitpur (a) The Sealdah-Poradah Railway Line Railway Station passing through Gede Railway Station and Dhaniaghat and the Calcutta-Khulna Railway line River Station. passing through Bongaon (b) The Sealdah-Lalgola Railway line (c) River routes from Calcutta to Bangladesh via Beharikhal. (2) Jagannathghat The river routes from Calcutta to Steamer Station Bangladesh via Beharikhal. and Rajaghat (3) T.T. Shed The river routes from Calcutta to (Kidderpore) Bangladesh via Beharikhal. CACHAR DISTRICT (4) Karimganj (a) Kusiyara river Ferry Station (b) Longai river (c) Surma river (5) Karimganj (a) Kusiyara river Steamerghat (b) Surma river (c) Longai river (6) Mahisasan Railway line from Karimganj to Latu Railway Station Railway Station (7) Silchar R.M.S.
    [Show full text]
  • SAARC Countries I Ii Seminar Book
    Munich Personal RePEc Archive Future-of-Eco-Coop-in-SARRC- Countries Shah, Syed Akhter Hussain Pakistan Institute of Development Economics Islamabad 2014 Online at https://mpra.ub.uni-muenchen.de/59275/ MPRA Paper No. 59275, posted 30 Dec 2014 23:42 UTC Future of Economic Cooperation in SAARC Countries i ii Seminar Book Future of Economic Cooperation in SAARC Countries iii CONTENTS Acknowledgements Acronyms Introduction 1 Welcome Address 12 Ambassador (R) Sohail Amin Opening Remarks 15 Kristof W. Duwaerts Inaugural Address 18 Riaz Mohammad Khan Concluding Address 24 Dr. Ishrat Hussain Concluding Remarks 26 Kristof W. Duwaerts Vote of Thanks 27 Ambassador (R) Sohail Amin Recommendations 29 CHAPTER 1 Regional Trade — Driver for Economic Growth 37 Dr. Kamal Monnoo CHAPTER 2 Meeting Energy Requirement: Potential for Intra-regional Energy Trade 61 Dr. Janak Lal Karmacharya CHAPTER 3 Building Regional Transport and Communication Infrastructure 81 Ms. Arshi Saleem Hashmi iv Seminar Book CHAPTER 4 Developing Energy Corridor from Central and West Asia to South Asia 101 Prof. Savita Pande CHAPTER 5 The New Silk Road Initiative: Economic Dividends 119 Mr. Nabi Sroosh and Mr.Yosuf Sabir CHAPTER 6 China‟s Growing Economic Relations with South Asia 127 Dr. Liu Zongyi CHAPTER 7 Fast Tracking Economic Collaboration in SAARC Countries 146 Dr. Pervez Tahir CHAPTER 8 Towards an Asian Century: Future of Economic Cooperation in SAARC Countries: A View from FPCCI 159 Mr. Muhammad Ali CHAPTER 9 Economic Cooperation among SAARC Countries: Political Constraints 163 Dr. Rashid Ahmad Khan CHAPTER 10 Implications of Bilateral and Sub-regional Trade Agreements on Economic Cooperation: A Case Study of SAARC in South Asia 177 Dr.
    [Show full text]
  • Land Port Declaration
    LAND PORT DECLARATION S.L Name Of Port Date of Decleration Part in Bangladesh Part in India/Myanmar 1. Benapole Land Port (S.R.O No.-11, Benapole, Sharsha, Petrapole, Bongaon, 24- Date: 12/01/2002) Jessore Parganas, West Bengal 2. Burimari Land Port (S.R.O No.-11, Burimari, Patgram, Changrabandha, Date: 12/01/2002) Lalmonirhat Mekhaliganj, West Bengal 3. Akhaura Land Port (S.R.O No.-11, Akhaura, Ramnagar, Agartala, Tripura Date: 12/01/2002) Brahmnbaria 4. Sonamasjid Land Port (S.R.O No.-11, S hibganj, Chapai Mahadipur, Maldah, West Date: 12/01/2002) Nawabganj Bengal 5. Hili Land Port (S.R.O No.-11, Hilli, Hakimpur, Hili, South Dinajpur, West Date: 12/01/2002) Dinajpur Bengal 6. Banglabandha Land Port (S.R.O No.-11, Tetulia, Panchagarh Fulbari, Jalpaiguri, West Date: 12/01/2002) Bengal 7. Birol Land Port (S.R.O No.-11, Birol, Dinajpur Radhikapur (Goura), West Date: 12/01/2002) Bengal 8. Teknaf Land Port (S.R.O No.-11, Teknaf, Cox’s Bazar M ungdu, Myanmar Date: 12/01/2002) 9. Tamabil Land Port (S.R.O No.-11, Gowinghat, Sylhet Dauki, Shillong, Meghalaya Date: 12/01/2002) 10. Bhomra Land Port (S.R.O No.-11, Bhomra, Sadar Gojadanga, 24-Parganas, Date: 12/01/2002) Upazila, Satkhira West Bengal 11. Darshana Land Port (S.R.O No.-11, D amurhuda, G ede, Krishnanagar, West Date: 12/01/2002) Chuadanga Bengal 12. Bibirbazar Land Port S.R.O No.- 320, Date: Sadar Upazila, Srimantapur, Sunamura, 18/11/2002 Comilla Agartala, Tripura 13.
    [Show full text]
  • India-Bangladesh Trade Potentiality an Assessment of Trade Facilitation Issues India-Bangladesh Trade Potentiality an Assessment of Trade Facilitation Issues
    India-Bangladesh Trade Potentiality An Assessment of Trade Facilitation Issues India-Bangladesh Trade Potentiality An Assessment of Trade Facilitation Issues Published by D-217, Bhaskar Marg, Bani Park Jaipur 302016, India Tel: +91.141.2282821, Fax: +91.141.2282485 Email: [email protected] Web site: www.cuts-international.org © CUTS International, 2014 First published: April 2014 This document has been produced by CUTS International. The views expressed here are those of CUTS International. ISBN 978-81-8257-214-0 Printed in India by MS Printer, Jaipur #1407 Contents Abbreviations ........................................................................................................................... i Note on Contributors ............................................................................................................. iii Foreword ............................................................................................................................... v Preface ............................................................................................................................. vii Executive Summary ................................................................................................................ ix 1. Introduction ....................................................................................................................... 1 Background and Context ................................................................................................... 1 Objectives and Methodology.............................................................................................
    [Show full text]
  • 5. PRELIMINARY FACILITY DESIGN 5.1 Preliminary Design of River
    THE FEASIBILITY STUDY OF PADMA BRIDGE FINAL REPORT – EXECUTIVE SUMMARY - MARCH 2005 results of simulations suggest that the hydraulic design parameters for the preliminary designs are appropriate and adverse impacts due to the project construction will be minor in terms of hydrodynamics and river morphology for the design flood under 2003/04 conditions. The impacts, indicated as the differences in the ‘without project’ and ‘with project’ scenario conditions, are minor as a whole. For the design flood of the 100-year return period, the increment of the highest water level is almost negligible and only a +0.1m/sec increment would occur in the depth-averaged flow velocity. Two-dimensional Modeling and Simulation (2003/04 Padma 2-D Long-term Model): The long-term simulation represents the indicative tendency for riverbed scour or deposition for locations for periods of 5 and 10 years respectively. The simulation results suggest that no large impact in terms of mid- and long-term morphological processes would be expected from the project construction. (3) Estimate of Maximum Scour Depth Types of Riverbed Scour: Natural and structure-induced scours were taken into account in the estimation of maximum scour depth. The natural scour was estimated as the sum of bend and confluence scours that could occur simultaneously under the worst case scenario, while structure-induced scours such as those around the bank protection works and bridge piers were calculated under natural scour flow conditions. Design Maximum Scour Depth (DMSD): A total scour depth was calculated assuming the worst combination of the relevant types of scour. In order to account for extra scour, which may be induced by unforeseen and compounding structural influences, the total scour was multiplied by a factor of 1.20 to determine the design maximum scour depth (DMSD).
    [Show full text]
  • Case Study of Nepal
    CHAPTER IX: CASE STUDY OF NEPAL A. Country profile Nepal, together with Afghanistan and Bhutan, is one of three landlocked least developed countries in South Asia. Like Bhutan, Nepal is bound by India to the south and the Tibet Autonomous Region of China to the north. Nepal covers an area of 147,181 square kilometres, with a length of 885 kilometres east to west and a mean width of 193 kilometres from north to south. Nepal is divided into three ecological zones, ranging from the plains of the Terai in the south to the central mountains and the Himalayan region in the north. The altitude ranges from 305 metres to 8,848 metres above sea level. The high mountain ranges, including the Himalayas, which run through the breadth of Nepal, hinder access to the more remote parts of the country and define the contours of its major transport routes. Most of Nepal’s economic activities, excluding agriculture, occur either in the Kathmandu valley or along its long border with India. However, the overwhelming majority of the population relies on subsistence farming and lives in rural areas where poverty is widespread. The ratio of population to arable land is among the highest in the world. It has been estimated that some two fifths of the population of Nepal live in poverty due to slow growth in agriculture, poor social services delivery, and poor infrastructure. Linking the large number of scattered villages, particularly in mountainous areas, to the national transport grid so as to integrate them into the national market remains a significant task.
    [Show full text]
  • Trans-Asian Railway in the Southern Corridor of Asia-Europe Routes
    ECONOMIC AND SOCIAL COMMISSION FOR ASIA AND THE PACIFIC DEVELOPMENT OF THE TRANS-ASIAN RAILWAY TRANS-ASIAN RAILWAY IN THE SOUTHERN CORRIDOR OF ASIA-EUROPE ROUTES UNITED NATIONS ECONOMIC AND SOCIAL COMMISSION FOR ASIA AND THE PACIFIC DEVELOPMENT OF THE TRANS-ASIAN RAILWAY TRANS-ASIAN RAILWAY IN THE SOUTHERN CORRIDOR OF ASIA-EUROPE ROUTES UNITED NATIONS New York, 1999 ST/ESCAP/1980 This publication was prepared by Peter Hodgkinson, Consultant, with financial support by the Government of Germany through GTZ German Technical Cooperation. The description employed and the presentation of material in this publication do not imply the expression of any opinion whatsoever on the part of the Secretariat of the United Nations concerning the legal status of any country, territory, city or area, or of its authorities, or concerning the delimitation of its frontiers or boundaries. This publication has been issued without formal editing. CONTENTS Page 1. INTRODUCTION .................................................................................................................1 2. NETWORK IDENTIFICATION............................................................................................3 2.1 Routes of international significance .........................................................................3 2.1.1 Route TAR-S1.............................................................................................5 2.1.2 Route TAR-S2.............................................................................................5 2.1.3 Route TAR-S3.............................................................................................7
    [Show full text]
  • South Asia—Intraregional Cooperation: the Way Forward
    South Asia—Intraregional Cooperation: The Way Forward Shahid Kardar August 2011 Disclaimer: The views expressed in this paper are those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the views and policies of the Asian Development Bank (ADB) or its Board of Governors or the governments they represent. ADB does not guarantee the accuracy of the data included in this publication and accepts no responsibility for any consequence of their use. By making any designation of or reference to a particular territory or geographic area, or by using the term ―country‖ in this document, ADB does not intend to make any judgments as to the legal or other status of any territory or area. Table of Contents Abbreviations i Executive Summary ii I. Introduction 1 II. South Asia in Perspective—Regional Comparative Analysis of Key Indicators 5 III. Barriers to Trade 6 A. Introduction 6 B. Tariff Barriers to Trade in South Asia 6 i. Analyzing current tariff structures 6 ii. Efforts to reduce tariff barriers under SAFTA and other bilateral trade agreements 7 iii. Gains from lowering tariff barriers on trade in South Asia 9 iv. Conclusions 12 C. Non-Tariff Barriers 12 i. Introduction 12 ii. Overview of current barriers to trade in South Asia 12 iii. Non-tariff barriers 12 iv. Barriers to trade facilitation 14 v. Transaction costs of barriers to trade facilitation between India and Pakistan 21 vi. Gains from the Reduction/Removal of Barriers to Trade Facilitation 22 D. Informal Trade in South Asia 24 i. Introduction 24 ii. Informal trade 24 iii. Informal Trade between India and Pakistan 25 IV.
    [Show full text]