Highway in the Mountains - The Western Yunnan Roads Development Project

Abstract

Yunnan is easily the most culturally and biologically diverse province in the People’s Republic of China (PRC). It has snow-capped mountains, clear lakes and rivers, tropical environments teeming with diverse wildlife, and breathtaking heritage spots. It is also home to 25 of the 56 recognized ethnic groups in the country. Unfortunately, Yunnan is also among the PRC’s least developed provinces. Majority of Yunnan’s 45 million people, who mainly rely on agriculture for livelihood, are poor. In 2004, per capita gross domestic product (GDP) was only Y6,703—about 64% of the PRC’s total average.1 Yunnan’s remoteness and lack of good road connectivity contributed to this poverty. Not only did these factors severely hamper people’s mobility and access to basic services; they also limited investment and expansion of nonfarm opportunities. To address this problem, the PRC and the Asian Development Bank (ADB) launched the Western Yunnan Roads Development Project in 2003, which aimed to connect the rural, mountainous areas of Western Yunnan to the PRC’s regional centers, as well as to the Greater Mekong Subregion. The Yunnan Baolang Expressway Company (YBEC), a subsidiary of the Yunnan Highway Development & Investment Company (YHDIC), served as implementing agency.