ASi" kUCTURE FlOR DEVELOPMENT

Box IA 'Infrastructure's direct and indirect effects in rural India
A study of two villages in rural Karnatakca state~, south- lages! sugarrane to the milL DaIena quiddy established
emn India, offers a glimpse of the ful impact that infra- itself as a service cente in the region, and its residents
structure can have on rural flin standards. The re- integrated themselves into a miuch wider economic
searcher, who studied the Wangala and Dalena villages sphere than did those in Wangatla.
in the 1950 and 1970s, described how-the two. villages The research emphasized how many Dalena vilagers
had been similarly poor and backward until a Large-scale traveled daily between their homes in the village and
irrigation, project brought Wangala into a canal network their place of work in nearby towns. This observation,
while Dalena's high elevation left it unirrigated. echoed in other studies, suggests that the developmnent
Although canal irrgation direcly promoted rapid in- process need not entail migration from rural areas to
tensification of cultivation in Wangala, institutions and urban centers. In the Uttar Pradesh village of Palanpur,
the villagers way of life were relatively unaffected oth- per capita living standards rose, between 1957 and 1993
erwise [n contrast .Dalena did not benefit directly from in the fhce of population growth, in part because of exthe
canaL Its villager were compelled to adjust their panding nonfarm employment Residents of Palanpur
way of Iffe significantly in order to capture the indirect commute daily to the towvns of Chandausi and Moradeconomic
benefits from the irrigation project The vii- abad, largely by rail. This typ of rural commuting more
lagers purchased land outside Dalena, sought positions commonly occurs along roads by foot, bicyde, motorcyin
the Public Wobrks Department and a nearbysugar mill, cde, bus, or car.
and became involved in the transtport of. irrigated vilture
can promnote the environmental sustainability of Power plant and vehice emissions are important
human settlementts (the "brown"r agenda). World De- contributors to air pollution, so their air quality 'imvelopment
Report 19-92 focuses on environumental pacts deserve careful analysis when facilities are exissues,
including those of infrastructure sectors, in panded. In developing countries, almost one-third
detail
Of commerc-ial energy is devoted to electricity gener-
The relationship betweent each hinfrastructure sec- ation, which is the fastest-growing component of the
tor and the environment is complex. The most posih energy sector. By the year 2000 Asia may well suirtive
impacts of infrastructure on the environment pass all of Europe in sulfur dioxide emissions, and
concern the removal and disposal of liquid and by 2005 it may surpass Europe and the United States
solid wastes. But much depends on how disposal fa- combined in power plant emissions. Vehicles are a
cilities are planned and executed. Underinvestment significant source of airborne toxic pollutants~, acin
municipal sewerage relative to water supply in counting for up to 95 percent of lead contamination.
densely populated cities such as Jakarta has been In Central and Eastern Europe, road transport is esfound
to lead to harmful contamination of water re- timated to account for 30 to 40 percent of total emitserves,
to exacerbate flooding, and to) reduce the ted nitrogen- oxides and hydrocarbons. Although
health benefits from water investments. Provision of OECD countries account for three-quarters of the
sewerage without wastewater treatment can lead to world stock of motor vehicles, a rapid increase mnvesevere
downstream pollution and prublic health hide use is expected in parts of Central andEatr
problems where receiving waters are used for Europe, East Asia, and South America. In large and
d:rinking-water supply or for recreation, irrgation, growing developing country cities, such as Bangkok
and fisheries--as ilustrated by the cholera out- and Jakarta, vehicle congestion already gives rise to
breakcs in Peru and neighboring countries in recent considerable envirornmental and economic costs. For
years. Poor management of solid waste complicates Bangkcok, it is estimated that if reduced traffic conurban
street drainage and has been linked with the gestion permnitted a 5 percent increase in peak-hour
proliferation of disease-bearing mosquitos in stand- vehicle speeds, the value of travel time saved would
ing water. The growing problem of hazardous and amount to more than $400 million a year A 20 pertoxic
wastes as countries industrialize poses partic- cent fimprovement in air quality in Bangkok, as a reular
concerns about safe disposal. For example, tin- sult of a reduction in pollutan ts related to vehicle or
controlled dumping has'led to soil contamination in power plant emissions, would produce annual
the Upper Silesian industrial region of Poland and health benefits valued at between $100 and $400 per
to subsequent food crop contamination,L
capita for Bangkok's 6 million residents.
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