Road Investment and Violence in DRC: Perishable Effects

Mathilde Lebrand; Hannes Mueller; Peer Schouten; Jevgenijs Steinbuks

Road Investment and Violence in DRC: Perishable Effects

Mathilde Lebrand
, Hannes Mueller
, Peer Schouten
, Jevgenijs Steinbuks

Peace and violence

Research output: Working Paper, Paper, Policy Brief, Brief, Impact › Papers and Working Papers › Research › peer-review

Abstract

This paper explores the effect of road rehabilitation projects on the incidence of violent events using a novel, rich dataset of road rehabilitation projects in the Democratic Republic of Congo. Violence decreases significantly by around 5 to 10 percentage points after the completion of road rehabilitation. However, violence increases again as roads progressively deteriorate. Improved durability and systematic maintenance of roads are thus necessary to extend the ‘peace dividend’ of road investments.

Original language	English
Place of Publication	Washington, D.C.
Publisher	World Bank
Number of pages	20
Publication status	Published - 21 Feb 2025

Series	World Bank Policy Research Working Papers
Number	11071

Keywords

Infrastructure
DR Congo
Armed conflict
Intervention
Stabilisation

Access to Document

https://openknowledge.worldbank.org/entities/publication/1fabb124-3fe0-4d2c-95b5-f89fd010c047

Cite this

@techreport{4b44490067894d4fa542fd9898e0a6e8,

title = "Road Investment and Violence in DRC: Perishable Effects",

abstract = "This paper explores the effect of road rehabilitation projects on the incidence of violent events using a novel, rich dataset of road rehabilitation projects in the Democratic Republic of Congo. Violence decreases significantly by around 5 to 10 percentage points after the completion of road rehabilitation. However, violence increases again as roads progressively deteriorate. Improved durability and systematic maintenance of roads are thus necessary to extend the {\textquoteleft}peace dividend{\textquoteright} of road investments.",

keywords = "Infrastructure, DR Congo, Armed conflict, Intervention, Stabilisation",

author = "Mathilde Lebrand and Hannes Mueller and Peer Schouten and Jevgenijs Steinbuks",

year = "2025",

month = feb,

day = "21",

language = "English",

series = "World Bank Policy Research Working Papers",

publisher = "World Bank",

number = "11071",

type = "WorkingPaper",

institution = "World Bank",

}

TY - UNPB

T1 - Road Investment and Violence in DRC

T2 - Perishable Effects

AU - Lebrand, Mathilde

AU - Mueller, Hannes

AU - Schouten, Peer

AU - Steinbuks, Jevgenijs

PY - 2025/2/21

Y1 - 2025/2/21

N2 - This paper explores the effect of road rehabilitation projects on the incidence of violent events using a novel, rich dataset of road rehabilitation projects in the Democratic Republic of Congo. Violence decreases significantly by around 5 to 10 percentage points after the completion of road rehabilitation. However, violence increases again as roads progressively deteriorate. Improved durability and systematic maintenance of roads are thus necessary to extend the ‘peace dividend’ of road investments.

AB - This paper explores the effect of road rehabilitation projects on the incidence of violent events using a novel, rich dataset of road rehabilitation projects in the Democratic Republic of Congo. Violence decreases significantly by around 5 to 10 percentage points after the completion of road rehabilitation. However, violence increases again as roads progressively deteriorate. Improved durability and systematic maintenance of roads are thus necessary to extend the ‘peace dividend’ of road investments.

KW - Infrastructure

KW - DR Congo

KW - Armed conflict

KW - Intervention

KW - Stabilisation

UR - https://www.diis.dk/en/node/27366

M3 - Papers and Working Papers

T3 - World Bank Policy Research Working Papers

BT - Road Investment and Violence in DRC

PB - World Bank

CY - Washington, D.C.

ER -

Road Investment and Violence in DRC: Perishable Effects

Abstract

Keywords

Access to Document

Other files and links

Infrastructure for Peacebuilding: The role of infrastructure in tackling the underlying drivers of fragility

Concrete approaches to peace: infrastructure as peacebuilding

Cite this