the challenges facing landlocked developing countries: a case study ...

AFGHANISTAN
Two decades of war, harsh geographic conditions (including
earthquakes, mountainous terrain, harsh winters, and
vulnerability to drought) and very poor infrastructure have all
exacerbated Afghanistan’s severe landlockedness, being over
1960km from the nearest port, Karachi. While the Taliban
government has been removed, warlords continue to dominate
many of the main trade routes limiting access to the country.
Afghanistan’s three potential trade corridors are northward
through Turkmenistan, Uzbekistan and Russia to the port of
Riga (Latvia), south to the port of Karachi (Pakistan), and
west to the port of Bandar-e Abbas (Iran). 27 The third of these
routes was not a significant transit corridor until after the war
in 2002, when it became important for aid cargo. The northern
corridor through the former Soviet Union takes about 3 weeks
and has declined in importance since the withdrawal of Soviet
troops from Afghanistan. The corridor through Karachi
remains Afghanistan’s principal corridor, but it has recently
suffered from stricter Pakistani transit controls (primarily on
Afghani exports) in response to illegal trafficking.
TRANSPORTATION INFRASTRUCTURE
BASIC INFORMATION
HDI Rank:
N/A
GDP per capita
2000 (PPP$): N/A
Exports per capita
2000 (current USD): N/A
Distance to port:
1960km
Transport cost ratio
(1989): 0.35
Neighbors:
Iran, Pakistan, Tajikistan,
Turkmenistan, Uzbekistan
Primary transit neighbor:
Pakistan
Main trading partners:
Imports: Pakistan (26%),
Korea (17%)
Exports: Pakistan (30%),
India (14%)
Road
Little has been done to maintain Afghanistan’s road
infrastructure since the initial American and Soviet
construction of the system in the 1960s and 1970s, that was
intended to better connect each superpower to their regional
sphere of influence. Two decades of war and neglect have all
but destroyed Afghanistan’s internal road network, with
nearly 50% of the primary network being in very poor
condition (Tahir and Dachiku 2002). Even the most essential
transport corridors have fallen into a state of complete
disrepair. The Salang Tunnel, which provides a main link
between the north and south of the country and transports
Primary Exports:
Natural Gas
Fruit, vegetables, nuts
Domestic Roads: poor
Transit Country Roads: fair
Domestic Rails:
Transit Country Rails:
more than 70% of Kabul’s fuel supplies has become not only a source of inordinate
bottlenecks but also a major hazard.
Moreover, the road system was initially designed by the US and USSR to connect the major
urban centres of the country. The resulting ring-like structure of the network, with few
linking roads, provides limited access to rural communities.
none
fair
Transit Country Ports: good
Neighboring Civil Conflict:
moderate
Relations w/ Neighbors: poor
27 Through Turkmenistan, Uzbekistan and Russia.
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