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The Long Road Ahead
2008-08-04
Apon Anongphouth, knows more than most the importance of rural transportation to the survival of impoverished communities. By the time this Professor of Engineering at National University of Laos (NUoL) was six years old, her village had been flattened and rebuilt scores of times thanks to a “secret” bombing war which delivered more tonnage of explosives from 30,000 feet than all of World War Two combined.
Thousands were killed and scores more were left maimed, impoverished and without food. The suffering at the family level was acute. But it was the constant hunger that hurt the most. Finally her parents, village of Ban Khai and entire province - with the exception of two hold out districts - decided enough was enough. Taking different routes, the villages embarked on a mass exodus to the relative safety of the heart of political and ideological power in Vietnam's communist north.
After trekking through the jungles, her group picked up one of the Ho Chi Minh Trails. It would be months before the survivors found refuge in Hanoi. She stayed in the North Vietnam capital until 1975, when the victorious Pathet Lao ended the rein of a six-century old monarchy at home by instituting a socialist regime.
Back in Vientiane and with high school studies over, she was on the move again. This time to Dashken, Uzbekistan for a bachelors degree in engineering. In the 1970’s, Soviet allies cooperated widely on student exchange programs. Choice wasn’t high on the list of priorities. Development was. Her degree was ultimately chosen for her by the newly established government.
A masters degree in Montreal soon followed, before returning home to kick off what has now become a 22- year teaching career at the university.
“I love teaching these kids. It allows me to directly contribute to the development of the country. It is like a waterfall. The knowledge keeps being recycled from generation to generation,” Apon said.
The kids she was referring to, were ahead of our rattling, sputtering mini-van in two buses bound for a study tour of a DFID-backed, South East Asia Community Access Program (SEACAP) research project on slope and soil stabilisation techniques for Laos’ roadsides and embankments.
On the way up to Kasai and the five SEACAP 21 project sites the students were to examine, we pass by water buffalos, cows, chickens, children, goats, a malaria station, more children, pigs, tuk-tuks, buses, petrol-tankers, semis, communities of ramshackle stilt huts and finally children carrying other children to and from the fields. All of which seem to have the right of way over our shuddering Hyundai.
The grey ribbon road snaking through stunning limestone cliffs has managed to slash travel time by half. Unfortunately it also managed to leave half of our accompanying 52 NUoL engineering students nauseous and clambering for the windows.
“I grew up around here. Before the road was much worse, especially during the monsoon season when the rain and land slides would turn the road into mud like the Mekong,” said third-year student, Manivan Larpom, as she reached again for a plastic bag.
What struck me after we tumbled out of the buses to inspect the first site – a ‘shockcreted’ wall built to arrest a progressive land slide which had eaten away at the road above – was how eager these kids were to learn about the bio and civil engineering techniques employed at the site.
At each location, questions were asked. Answers were jotted down. More questions were asked and diagrams were sketched out before a new round of inquiries would begin. All this while I wilted under a scorching 35 degree heat.
"Our students don’t get this opportunity very often. Most of their work is all theory, so for them to be out here looking at ways to deal with land slides - the biggest problem hampering access here - is really important,” said Apon.
Laos is one of the world’s least developed countries. GDP for 2007 just topped $4 billion, over 30 per cent of the country lives below the poverty line and only two in three people are literate.
Rural roads benefit these communities economically through a boost in agricultural production, increased profits for agricultural produce through decreased transport costs, greater employment, social and educational opportunities, and lower prices for essential commodities.
In Laos, where 80 per cent of the 2.2 million-strong work-force is employed in agriculture and 40 per cent of GDP is derived from rice cultivation alone, these benefits are far-reaching and work to directly reduce poverty.
However, Laos’ complex geology, mountainous terrain, heavy rainfall and even roads built to open up areas are all responsible for slides which leave roads blocked for days at a time. SEACAP Project 21-002, a recent feasibility study for the national program to manage slope stability which recommends training Ministry of Public Works and Transport staff, university students and engineers on land slide risk assessment and control, assessed roadblocks of three hours on a national road to cost the Laos economy US8,150. A six hour stoppage came in at US32,907.
"This type of research into how to use local materials, labour and know- how is what we need. Laos is sparsely populated. We are forced into investing in many roads to service remote villages. Frankly there just isn't the money to go around,” said Apon.
About SEACAP 21:
SEACAP 21 is organised into two phases. The first undertakes research focused on bio-engineering - a process which looks to use the planting of locally sourced seeds to combat erosion. The second phase examines a variety of civil engineering techniques. Both phases place a premium on using locally sourced labour, maintenance and materials.
The project is being jointly-funded by the Lao Government, DFID and the World Bank.
More Information: http://www.seacap-info.org/?mod=home&act=pdesc&pid=22Contact:
David Salter
Manager DFID/SEACAP
Email: davidsalter@online.com.kh
