Lebo, JerrySchelling, Dieter2016-04-192016-04-192001World Bank Technical Paper No. 4960-8213-4919-80253-7494http://hdl.handle.net/10919/69146Isolation contributes to rural poverty. Without a minimum of reliable and efficient access to locations of basic social and economic activities, rural life stagnates and local development prospects remain limited. Providing and maintaining a minimum level of access, referred to in this paper as basic access, is therefore a necessary element of any rural development strategy.application/pdfen-USIn CopyrightRural developmentTransportation infrastructureRoad accessMarket accessIsolationTransportGovernanceDesign and appraisal of rural transport infrastructure: Ensuring basic access for rural communitiesReportCopyright 2001 The International Bank for Reconstruction and Development/ The World Bank. All rights reserved.