“developing and mainstreaming local resource-based strategies for sustainable development and poverty reduction’’

Within the context of the regional priorities set in the Asian Decent Work Decade negotiated between governments, workers and employers, the ILO is implementing the “Local Development through Infrastructure Investments and Jobs” programme (ASIST-AP) which is operational in 15 countries in the region.

Infrastructure, poverty and jobs……

Providing adequate access to markets and livelihood opportunities and services such as clean water, education, health and transport is still a major task in large parts of Asia and the Pacific. A lack of access is often the result of insufficient or poor infrastructure. The development of infrastructure is crucial to meeting the MDGs, in particular those related to livelihoods and income, health, education and water and sanitation. Although infrastructure development is not identified as a direct MDG target or indicator, without it many of the targets will not be met. Sustainable infrastructure is not only an essential part in improving the livelihoods of the poor; it also provides opportunities for creating jobs during development, operation and maintenance.

ILO’s local resource-based approach……

The ILO Infrastructure and Jobs programme has more than 30 years of experience in providing sustainable approaches to local and community infrastructure development in both rural and urban areas. The basic approach of this technical programme focuses around strengthening local capacity to address the need for infrastructure by involving local communities, local government agencies and local contractors, relying to the extent possible on locally available resources.

The approach has been successfully applied in more than 15 countries in Asia and the Pacific in both a poverty reduction and crisis response context. It has been demonstrated that assistance to infrastructure development can create additional benefits such as cash employment, skills development and the development of local industries. The development of appropriate assets can also contribute to environmental preservation, land conservation as well as increasing land productivity and mitigating the impacts of disasters.

Technical fields of operation……

The programme is implemented through four technical fields of operation: participatory local infrastructure planning, local resource-based works technology, community and small-scale contracting and sustainable maintenance strategies, thereby covering all stages of infrastructure development from planning, works implementation to maintenance and operation of improved facilities.

Means of action……

Means of action consist of policy advice and technical assistance, development of guidelines and technical manuals, dissemination of information and best practices, training and institutional capacity building and implementation of physical works projects.

Links to EIIP : Employment Intensive Investment Programme

Areas of intervention

• Developing rural infrastructure
• Urban community infrastructure

Context

• Access and Poverty Reduction
• Local Development
• Crisis Response
• Green Jobs
  

Key resources

• Improving access in rural areas: guidelines for integrated rural accessibility planning
• Rural road maintenance: Sustaining the benefits of improved access
• Building Rural Roads
• Building local government capacity for rural infrastructure works
• Contracting Local Infrastructure Works
  

Country activities

• Lao PDR - Country Brief
• Timor Leste - Country Brief
• Cambodia - Country Brief
• Pakistan - Country Brief
• Myanmar - Country Brief
• Indonesia - Country Brief
• Philippines - Country Brief
• Thailand - Country Brief