Transport at the crossroads: remote rural areas and empty skies

Equal access to reliable transportation is necessary for development and key to equitable and sustained growth. It brings education, health services, and jobs within reach of all communities, expands access to local, regional, and global markets, and helps reduce poverty. To support economic development, SDG 9 focuses on high-quality, reliable, sustainable, and resilient regional and transborder infrastructure. SDG target 9.1 is about bringing affordable and equitable transport access to everyone.

Over the past few decades the pace of global travel has accelerated, and the movement of people and goods has made the world increasingly interconnected. Globally, journeys by air passengers increased from 1.7 billion in 2000 to more than 4.2 billion in 2018. Then the COVID-19 pandemic in 2020 resulted in an abrupt decline in travel worldwide. Air traffic has been severely affected, and the pace of recovery remains uncertain.

Global air travel plunged by over 70 percent in April and May 2020

Total passenger flights, domestic and international

Source: International Civil Aviation Organization & ADS-B Flightaware

In urban areas, where transport infrastructure is typically better than in rural areas, the focus for improvement is transportation quality, congestion, affordability, and equitable access. In rural areas, where transport infrastructure is more limited and in many cases highly inadequate (especially in low- and lower-middle-income countries), the primary goal is providing basic infrastructure such as roads. Without an all-season road—a road usable by motor vehicles year-round—people cannot access essential services and markets.

The Rural Access Index measures the proportion of the rural population who live within 2 kilometres of an all-season road. This is generally considered a reasonable distance (equivalent to a 20–25 minute walk) to access economic activities and participate in social activities. Introduced in 2006, the index was initially calculated based on data from in-person interviews conducted as part of household surveys. The current methodology takes advantage of advances in technology and draws on a broader set of sources, including survey and road network data, which provide more accurate information on road network distribution and road quality. The index, available for over two dozen countries, measures access to sustainable transport for rural populations (SDG indicator 9.1.1).

Data sources for measuring the Rural Access Index

How can we calculate how many people in rural areas have access to a road in good condition? By answering three questions: Where do people live?; Where are the roads?; What is the quality of the roads?

Methodology for measuring the Rural Access Index

Many data challenges arise when calculating the Rural Access Index, particularly in poorer countries. While the location and quality of national roads are generally well monitored, data on secondary, tertiary, and unpaved roads are often sparse. More efforts and investment are needed to collect better data on road location and road quality so that countries can use the Rural Access Index to expand access to road networks.

Improved connectivity can result in higher agricultural and firm productivity, greater access to urban markets for producers,and more job opportunities. Good roads are also essential to allow people in rural areas to reach facilities such as schools, hospitals, and administrative services, and improving their overall standards of living.