Nepal suffers from acute poverty, with one-third living below the poverty line. Limited access to roads is a primary cause. The Department for International Development (UKaid) assists the Department of Local Infrastructure Development and Agricultural Roads on RAP, a programme aimed at reducing poverty through road building. The RAP approach is that access does not stop at road building and complementary socio-economic interventions are an essential part of the programme. RAP’s approach is labour intensive, environmentally friendly and participatory.

The RAP design phase began in 2000, with RAP1 implementation in 2002. At completion in June 2008 RAP1 had successfully built 357 km of district roads and 226 km of feeder roads. RAP2 followed and aims to build 362 km of district roads. UK Aid provided £36.13 million for RAP1 and is currently funding £ 29.30 million under RAP2. An additional £6.00 million has been allocated for the design and construction of 2 bridges in eastern Nepal. RAP2 is due for completion in March 2013.