Transport Interventions to Boost Trade and Tackle Climate Change in the South Asia Subregional Economic Cooperation Region

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The technical assistance (TA) aims to support the South Asia Subregional Economic Cooperation (SASEC) developing member countries in formulating strategies and plans to boost cross-border trade and improve subregional transportation by reducing travel time and increasing the efficiency of the region's dominant transport mode, and tackle climate change through transport decarbonization. Transport will be decarbonized through a multipronged approach: (i) building road infrastructure (as necessary to increase trade and economic activity) that enables longer periods of constant-speed operations and minimizes acceleration and deceleration, (ii) improving border infrastructure and operations, (iii) increasing the modal share of rail and waterways in the region, and (iv) transitioning to low- or zero-emission operations. Carbon emissions per kilometer for rail and waterways are significantly lower than those for road transport; thus, shifting traffic from road to railway will help reduce the overall transport emissions.