The purpose of this manual is to assist maintenance groups in Yunnan Province, People’s Republic of China, in organizing and carrying out the routine maintenance of unpaved rural roads.

Road asset management is one of the top priorities of the Central Asia Regional Economic Cooperation (CAREC) Transport and Trade Facilitation Strategy 2020. The implementation of performance-based road maintenance contracts (PBCs)—an essential element of road asset management—promotes effective and efficient maintenance of road networks. Well-designed PBCs keep roads in predefined good condition at relatively low cost. This guide aims to help policy makers in CAREC member countries understand and implement PBCs. After a brief history of the development of PBCs, it discusses the various types of PBCs and their relative advantages and disadvantages. It highlights PBC implementation in selected developed, developing, and transitional countries, including CAREC member countries, to illustrate best practices.

Provides an analysis of rural road maintenance in the Asian region.

This guide describes how to implement a system of community-based rural road maintenance involving groups of women, specifically in Yunnan Province, People's Republic of China. It was written as part of a pilot project supported by the Gender and Development Cooperation Fund of the Asian Development Bank. This pilot project aims to show that women can effectively participate in the maintenance of rural roads, resulting in improved road conditions and better access for those who rely on roads, and in creating employment opportunities and incomes for women. It also serves to identify specific issues in the participation of women in rural road maintenance, while defining solutions that facilitate their involvement. This guide is complemented by a manual that was developed under the same Gender and Development Cooperation Fund pilot project.

Better transport is essential to Myanmar’s development. After decades of underinvestment, Myanmar’s transport infrastructure lags behind other regional countries. Sixty percent of trunk highways and most of the railways need maintenance or rehabilitation. River infrastructure does not exist, while 20 million people lack basic road access. Can the transport sector deliver upon the master plan’s objectives? What is needed to improve the quality of the infrastructure and services for the industry? How can basic transport services be provided to all? How can Myanmar reduce the economic and social cost of transport? These reports attempt to answer these questions.