The role of local government in post disaster road reconstruction: Assessment of factors affecting local government road maintenance capacity

Disasters can cause major setbacks to achieving development goals but, at the same time, provide opportunities for development. In post-disaster reconstruction, the implementation of the ‘Build Back Better’ principle can result in improved road surfaces and wider road network coverage. However, the maximum benefit of such an investment can only be achieved if the road networks are properly maintained. Failing to provide the required maintenance needs may result in the investment made during the reconstruction period to prematurely diminish. As a result, the intended impact on the economic development of the areas concerned may not be achieved.
This study aims at identifying factors that affect local government capacity in the maintenance of post-disaster road reconstruction assets. Data were collected from documents, archival records and semi-structured interviews with 28 respondents representing the road stakeholders at the local, provincial and national level within three case study districts in Aceh province. The data were analyzed using NVivo 10.
The findings suggest that reconstructed road assets are generally neglected from maintenance needs. Factors which affect the local governments’ road maintenance capacity are grouped into three main categories: external, institutional and technical factors. The external factors are those which are beyond the direct control of the road authorities, such as local political and socio-economic conditions and conflicting roles between authorities. The institutional factors include financial capacity and human resources issues. The technical factors are accordingly those related to road design, traffic loading and other issues related to plant and equipment.