Sustainable Infrastructure Development in the Pacific Islands
Posted by Lorena Estigarribia, Roland Rajah, and Richard Neves[1]
Infrastructure, whether delivered or owned by the public or private sector is critical for sustainable economic and social development. This is especially so for Pacific island countries, whose remoteness, vulnerability to natural disasters, and highly dispersed population make the need for enhanced connectivity through transport and ICT networks particularly urgent. Making infrastructure development sustainable in the long term remains a perennial challenge throughout the region.
Development partners have been helping Pacific countries build infrastructure for decades. During the 1960s and 1970s, governments in the region constructed many new infrastructure projects such as water treatment plants, sewerage systems, roads, airports, and ports.
Yet most assets were not properly maintained due to weak governance, excessive reliance on donor funds to fill in the gaps, and political economy challenges. Funding for ongoing maintenance was hindered by competing expenditure priorities. The lack of maintenance not only constrained the expansion of existing projects and popular access to even basic infrastructure, but also made the assets extremely vulnerable to climatic threats.
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