Connectivity for Rural Livelihood Improvement Project

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The objective of the Connectivity for Rural Livelihood Improvement Project for Madagascar is to enhance transport connectivity in selected rural areas to improve access to social and economic opportunities of communities. The project is composed of five components. Component 1 primarily focuses on the climate-resilient rehabilitation of the secondary road network in priority regions, the 'missing middle' which is critical for continuity and connecting rural roads with the main network, thus connecting rural areas to secondary cities. It supports rehabilitation of 148 km of secondary roads selected using the prioritization method. Component 2 will finance improvement works on section of RPs, RCs, and unclassified roads totaling 500 km to enhance road accessibility and climate resilience in selected communes of the targeted regions, including design studies and supervision of works. Component 3 will not invest in the expansion of broadband connectivity but rather focus opportunistically on the development of digital services targeted to the local communities. Specifically, this component will support the emergence of a digital innovation ecosystem aimed at providing local content, applications, and services for rural development in the areas targeted by the project. Component 4 will finance capacity building and institutional-strengthening activities of the transport sector, among other things, in five areas. These areas include building capacity for ensuring road safety and building capacity for the inclusion of climate resilience in the planning and management of road infrastructure. Component 5 will facilitate access to rapid financing by allowing reallocation of uncommitted project funds in the event of a natural disaster, either by a formal declaration of a national emergency or upon a formal request for the GoM.