Developing countries term is a wide generic world to refer all those countries with some
similar patters. Political instability, low income and basic economic problems, with
deficiency of social and a lack of health facilities are the main features to define the
high level of poverty recorded there. Furthermore, with a global increasing population in
the world, the rates are even higher in developing countries.
How to help those countries has been a reiterate question for developed countries
agencies and NGOs and also for their own governments since aid between countries
around the world started. Understanding their historical background and knowing about
their current situation have been the pillars to establish a sort of cooperation
programmes. Accordingly, in 2000 the United Nations defined the Millennium
Development Goals (MDG) with detailed objectives for the future and also created a
tool to measure development progress. The eight Goals range from eradicating
extreme poverty and hunger to ensuring environmental sustainability, reducing child
mortality and improving maternal health, promoting gender equality and developing a
global partnership for development.
On the other hand, transportation is an important sector for economic and progress
since it allows people and freight mobility. Developing countries, especially in Africa,
also share a lack of good transport systems and bad infrastructural networks. Without
reliable transportation, economic progress becomes a utopia.
As a consequence, transport investment can bring enormous benefits to developing
countries as the first step to improve their conditions. Land transport is the basic mode
of mobility within a region. Although air and maritime transport is essential for
international exchange and communication, an efficient road network becomes the
minimum standard required. Hence, road engineering is one of the best tools for
reducing poverty and achieving the MDG.
And the poorest country in the world is Sierra Leone. According to the HDI, Sierra
Leone registers the highest levels of poverty in the world. Like many African countries it
was enrolled with many years of colonialism and when it got the independence the
country suffered a deep economic crisis. Although Sierra Leone has been external
funding dependant for several years, the country remains in a really bad situation. In
addition, the country experienced a brutal civil war from 1991 to 2002, which also
favoured the rapid urban growth. That has led to a high concentration of people in city
environments, especially in the capital of Sierra Leone, Freetown. With more than one
million people living in Freetown, the city has grown without any sort of planning, and
many slums areas define now the face of the city.