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Brief

IDS Policy Briefing;142

Improving Livelihoods Through Better Road and Water Integration and Planning

Published on 28 April 2017

Poorly planned roads can negatively affect rural dwellers by damaging land-based assets, through water logging and erosion. However, by modifying the flows of water and the quantity of surface and groundwater available, roads can also have positive impacts on the lives and livelihoods of affected populations.

Research undertaken in Tigray, Ethiopia shows that these effects are unequally distributed, and depend on several factors including topographical considerations, type of roads, and people’s collective and individual assets. Multifunctional roads that better integrate people’s needs, resources and knowledge into road design and construction are required to improve people’s livelihoods and wellbeing and contribute to poverty reduction.

Authors

Jonathan Demenge

DPhil Student

Lyla Mehta

Professorial Fellow

Publication details

published by
Institute of Development Studies
authors
Demenge, J. and Mehta, L.
journal
IDS Policy Briefing, issue 142
language
English

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About this publication

Region
Ethiopia

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