Challenges and Opportunities in Sustainable Road Infrastructure Development and Maintenance in Zimbabwe

Abstract

The road network in Zimbabwe plays an important role in trading, movement, regional integration and economic growth. However, the sustainability of the roads is under threat due to a lack of maintenance system, financial resources, inadequate governance and climate effects. Nevertheless, despite increasing interest in infrastructure development, there is limited research on the impact of these factors on road sustainability in Zimbabwe. Thus, the main purpose of this qualitative study is to investigate the challenges and opportunities of sustainable road infrastructure development and maintenance in Zimbabwe. Data were collected using a document analysis of academic sources, policy documents and case-specific documents. The qualitative content analysis was used to find out common topics in the data collected. As a result, first, it was found that fragmentation and lack of institutional coordination affect the effectiveness of the road maintenance process as roads are maintained after the deterioration state. Second, insufficient financial resources, reactive approach to repairs and inappropriate management of revenues make it hard to ensure the sustainability of the rehabilitation process. Finally, climate stresses, bad drainage and absence of digital asset management worsen the resilience of the roads.