Transportation in Developing Nations: Managing the Institutional and Technological Transition to a Low-Emissions Future

Abstract

The world is caught in a seemingly insolvable dilemma. On one hand, in both industrialized and developing countries, consumers are increasingly demanding mobility—both for themselves and for goods from far away. The most convenient, and in many cases most desired solution is transport by motor vehicles. But as Jayant Sathaye and Michael Walsh note in this chapter, increasing motor vehicle use inevitably leads to a range of air pollutant emissions to the atmosphere —along with congestion and inefficient use of fuel. These in turn exacerbate both environmental and economic problems. As developing countries become more urbanized and increasingly dependent on cars and trucks, they will confront the linked problems of heavy traffic, urban pollution, high accident rates and low vehicle efficiencies. These developments suggest to Sathaye and Walsh that there is a growing need for new and more sustainable transportation strategies.