Japan's Official Development Assistance White Paper 2012
2. Sustainable Growth
(1) Socio-economic Infrastructure
To reduce poverty in developing countries, it is indispensable not only to implement measures to reduce poverty and to provide assistance in the areas of social development that directly help the poor, but also to promote sustainable economic growth. Therefore, it is important to improve the socio-economic infrastructure that serves as the foundation for the development of developing countries.
<Japan's Efforts>
Japan supports infrastructure development and fosters the human resources to maintain, manage, and operate this infrastructure, in accordance with the development policies of developing countries. In terms of specific infrastructure development, development is carried out on roads, ports, airports, and information and communication technology (ICT). Such infrastructure contributes to the expansion of exchange between urban and rural areas, ensures security in case of disasters, and promotes trade with and investment from overseas countries. In addition, social infrastructure, which contributes to ensuring education, health, safe water and sanitation, housing, and better access to hospitals and schools, is also improved, as well as development of agricultural and fishery markets and fishing ports to revitalize local economies.
●Mongolia
Project for Construction of Railway Fly-over in Ulaanbaatar City
Grant Aid (May 2009 - Present)
More than 40% of Mongolia's 2.8 million population is concentrated in the country's capital of Ulaanbaatar. While urbanization has led to a rapid increase in traffic on the roads, road maintenance and improvement is unable to keep up with its pace and the city's traffic conditions have continued to deteriorate. Furthermore, since the railroad running east to west across the city divides the industrial zone in the south from the administrative offices and commercial districts in the north, the bridge over the railway plays an important role in the life of residents. The existing railroad flyover, however, had deteriorated and degraded with age terribly which was posing a challenge for safe and smooth traffic.
For this reason, Japan has been constructing a new road of 895m including a railway flyover of approximately 260m to connect the city's center to the north and south. Because this bridge was to become Mongolia's first full-fledged steel bridge, the contracted Japanese construction company volunteered to hold technical seminars and on-site tours for engineers from the concerned government agencies and university students. This allowed them to utilize the bridge as a case study for introducing Japanese construction techniques to Mongolia. Participants praised the seminars and tours for allowing them to study the advanced construction techniques of Japanese companies directly.
Japan and Mongolia marked the 40th anniversary of diplomatic relations in 2012 and this bridge has been named the Sun Bridge as a new symbol of friendship between the two countries as the sun represents Japan in Mongolia. It is expected the Sun Bridge will improve Ulaanbaatar's traffic congestion, and contribute to stability/optimization of logistics in the city and stimulate the economy.
(As of December 2012)