REVIEW OF TRANSPORT FOR SUSTAINABLE DEVELOPMENTS DEVELOPMENT AND IN TRANSPORT REGIONAL CONNECTIVITY IN ASIA AND THE PACIFIC 2015 United Nations publication Copyright © United Nations 2015 All rights reserved Printed in Bangkok Print ISBN : 978-92-1-120713-2 eISBN : 978-92-1-057897-4 ST/ESCAP/2746 EXECUTIVE SUMMARY This latest biennial Review sets out system allows for better optimization in transport developments in the Asia- energy efficiency and minimization of Pacific region and serves as a mechanism harmful emissions to environment and for reporting on the provision of how an integrated transport system also transport infrastructure and services; the strengthens economic, environmental challenges remaining in regional, urban and social outcomes. The Review also and rural connectivity; and public health shows that in some subregions, such issues, such as road safety and emission as South-East Asia, the share of road pollutions. transport, a heavy polluting mode of transport, is relatively high at 55 per cent, The Review finds that regional and extremely high in some countries, connectivity has been placed high in accounting for more than 90 per cent of policy agenda of many countries in the the total transport activity. In that regard, region. This has resulted in the strong the Review highlights the benefits for demand for strengthened regional the region of an integrated intermodal transport connectivity, largely emanating transport system that uses the benefits from the desire to have smooth flow of of a seamless approach to connect and goods movements within the region that capture the comparative advantages of also provides inclusive access for the the different modes of transportation. emerging development opportunities to all countries in the region, in particular The Review shows adoption of overall those with special needs such as least policy on developing the integrated developed countries, landlocked intermodal transport systems in a number developing countries and small island of countries. Increasing investment developing states. in environmentally sound railway and intermodal transport hubs has been seen 2015 saw the adoption of the global in these countries. Many countries have mandate in the 2030 UN development made substantial efforts to upgrade their agenda and the agreement to the road connectivity networks within the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). region with an increase in the percentage Of the 17 goals and 169 targets, transport of higher class Asian Highway roads is specifically mentioned in four targets such as class I and II and decrease in the and indirectly in seven others. SDGs percentage of lower class Asian Highway targets for transport include the subjects roads such as class III and below. For of resilient and transborder infrastructure; the Trans-Asian Railways overall, this road safety; energy efficiency; safe, upgrading has been slow, with missing affordable, accessible, and sustainable links still remaining, which impedes the transports systems, notably by expanding use of more efficient railway for regional public transport; and increased backbone transport. investment in rural infrastructure to achieve an integrated transport network. In the context of SDG 11 on more sustainable cities, the Review reports on To achieve the SDGs, transport’s the initiatives of the cities of the region to contribution will need to focus towards stem the social and economic losses from achieving an integrated intermodal the burden of increasing congestion and transport system that provides balanced pollution caused by private vehicles. The integration of the three pillars, economic, Review acknowledges the increasing role social and environmental, of sustainable of intelligent transport systems for urban development. Integrated intermodal and inter-city mobility. transport system provides access to economic and social opportunities while accommodating the need of better living environment. The Review examines how an integrated intermodal transport The Review recognizes the role of as rapid urbanization and the increase rural accessibility as a key component in disposable incomes, are pushing up of success in connecting production demand for private vehicles. This, in with consumption, another SDG, to turn, has resulted in several negative end hunger and promote sustainable environmental externalities. Motorization agriculture. Greater connectivity is also has negative social consequences, needed for rural and remote communities such as an increasing number of traffic in the region where around two thirds of accidents and possibly greater inequality, a billion people do not have all-weather both within urban areas and between access, and further onwards connection urban and rural areas. The key to making to the regional networks, such as the the transport sector more sustainable is Asian Highway and Trans-Asian Railway. to encourage both passenger and freight transport to shift to more sustainable The Review also reports the region’s modes of transport. For passengers, the greater interest and the need in further provision of infrastructure to facilitate improving road safety, which resulted in non-motorized transport (walking social and economic loss from road traffic and cycling) and high quality public fatalities with some 733,000 deaths on transport systems are the way forward. Asia-Pacific roads in 2013, especially in Road transport remains the dominant East and North-East Asia and the Pacific mode for freight transport, accounting subregions where their fatality levels have for an ever-increasing proportion of increased from 2010. fossil fuel consumption. Governments must consider measures to encourage more intermodal transport, which would PART I – INTRODUCTION allow shippers to take advantage of the environmental and economic efficiencies of railways, maritime transport and Asia and the Pacific region has become inland waterways and the flexibility and less dependent on its traditional markets reliability of road transport. The promotion in Europe and North America with more of railways for long-distance freight than half of its trade now conducted movement and intermodal transport and within the region. This situation calls the use of intelligent transport systems for enhancing regional connectivity. are essential for improving sustainability in Structural bottlenecks, such as poor the region. quality transport infrastructure, are hindering the potential for more trade within subregions. By strengthening cross-border overland links with their neighbours, the region can achieve a more balanced distribution of trade flows. The need for better intraregional transport systems is being addressed with several regional initiatives paving the way with the help of infrastructure-focused funds for boosting connectivity among ESCAP member States. PART II – TRANSPORT AND SUSTAINABLE DEVELOPMENT Sustainable development is one of the key issues facing policymakers today, a fact underlined by four of the seventeen new United Nations Sustainable Development Goals — which come into effect from 2016 — including targets that make specific reference to transport and infrastructure. Demographic trends, such PART III – INTEGRATED INTERMODAL use of radio-frequency identification and TRANSPORT SYSTEM intelligent transport systems to track cargo and vehicles. Various “e-logistics” CHAPTER 1 - REGIONAL TRANSPORT systems, are directed at streamlining CONNECTIVITY logistics procedures and improving logistics performance. INFRASTRUCTURE NETWORKS INTER-ISLAND SHIPPING IN THE Over the past fifty years, infrastructure PACIFIC SUBREGION networks in the ESCAP region have grown The maritime sector plays an important faster than in any other region in the world. role in many countries of the ESCAP Significant progress has been made in region, but it is especially critical for linking major production and consumption the maritime countries of the Pacific centres with intensive transport network. subregion. This subregion is heavily Governments have put a lot of effort in dependent on shipping services for the upgrading and improving the quality of domestic and international transport these networks, with the region now of cargo and passengers. Inter-island boasting world class highways, high- shipping is also central to the lives of speed railway systems and some of the Pacific islanders, often providing the busiest ports and aviation hubs in the only means of access to and from the world. In particular, progress has been smaller outer islands, as well as being a made under the frameworks of the major source of employment. Given its intergovernmental agreements on the importance, governments in the region Asian Highway, Trans-Asian Railway, have formulated a number of cooperation and dry ports. However, the region has frameworks to strengthen the maritime yet to achieve the kind of “seamless sector. The efficiency of services has also connectivity” that would allow countries been enhanced with the emergence of to make the optimal use of regional several hub ports as major transhipment infrastructure networks, and thereby bring points, resulting in relatively good down transport and logistics costs. This north-south and east-west international chapter provides an update on the status shipping connections with major trading of those networks and a number of major partners for all categories of cargo. ongoing and planned highway and railway However, a number of challenges remain, projects, while also discussing several including the