Resilience of the Ethiopian Roads Network

Project Summary:

This project supported the maintenance of existing major roads and bridges managed by the Ethiopia Roads Authority (ERA), as well as design review of new ERA infrastructure. Prior to action, a vulnerability assessment of core transportation corridors informed prioritization of maintenance and construction based on flood risk, the availability of alternative routes, and minimizing transportation disruptions. Findings and recommendations from this KGGTF-supported program informed other World Bank-funded projects in Ethiopia, including the country’s road sector support project, expressway development support project, and transport systems improvement project. Together these programs formed a comprehensive approach to climate change resilience management for Ethiopia’s road sector and encourage the mainstreaming of green growth principles.

List of Activities:

• Vulnerability Assessment of the strategic road network
• Review of current engineering practices and identify opportunities for improvements  
• Development of manual on carrying out vulnerability assessments and risk mapping
• Develop Guidelines and integrating climate resilience in road policy, and recurrent and investment programs
• Study – tour in Korea to understand the engineering solutions applied in Korea and see climate resilience in action
• Training for staff of ERA Research and Development and Planning Directorates
• Develop Guideline on addressing climate resilience in road design, operation and maintenance, with supplement to ERA Road Design Manuals

Outcomes:

Output 1.1:

• Report summarizing vulnerability to climate change and proposing strategies
• Assessment report on current design practices 
• Vulnerability assessment manual

Output 1.2:

• Guideline document that shows integration of climate resilience to the road POLICY, and budget implications 

Output 2.1:

• Awareness created and capacity of implementation of Climate resilience strategy 

Output 2.2:

• Increased national capability 

Output 3:

• Developed guideline showing possible mitigating options and strategy for problems arising from climate change 

Outcomes:

The project improved efficiency by applying structured approach to road transport infrastructure management that considers climate resilience at all levels (planning, implementation and operation/maintenance). Increased understanding of the cost benefit analysis related to design better infrastructure and the cost and resilience tradeoffs helped to improve the efficiency of the road management. The team also achieved greater resilience by improving climate resilience of the road transport infrastructure which is economically viable. The activity also helped to develop guidelines for climate resilience in infrastructure; technical standards for roads in view of the changing climate; technical solutions for most typical problems on the road infrastructure and good maintenance practices. Lastly, the team increased competitiveness by Institutional capacity building dedicated to ensure the understanding on the cost implication of building climate resilient road infrastructure; technical approaches to most typical road infrastructure problems. It also included trainings of private sector (road infrastructure designers and contractors) to ensure the transfer of knowledge to the industry.

Collaboration with K-Partners and Others:

• WBG internal partners: Transport team working on the projects financed by the Bank, and the Bank’s country management unit. The team will coordinate all activities to ensure commitment from ERA side and other partners participating in the project.
• K-Partners:
• Korea International Cooperation Agency (KOICA) - http://www.koica.go.kr/ - by complementing its efforts to support climate change issues by improving environmental quality, managing natural resources and strategies to mitigate & adapt to the effects of climate change
• Korea Transport Institute (KOTI) - http://english.koti.re.kr/ - the institute supports complex transport R&D, including in the areas of institutional reforms for road management and of the design of environmental-sound and resilient road infrastructure system.
• Korea Research Institute of Climate Change Countermeasure Strategies (KRICCCS) - http://kricccs.com/kricccs_corp/index_eng.html - KRICCS has worked on programs involving climate change vulnerability assessments and adaptation/countermeasure strategies, practical use of climate adaptation & response measures for local government, and establishment of detailed action plan of climate change adaptation policies for local government - that would be useful to reference and learn from. 
• Korean Industries (e.g. KEC, for the R&D and management of expressways management experience)