Rural transport plays an indispensable role in achieving more than half of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) and fulfilling the promise of the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development to ‘leave no one behind’. Although there is no dedicated SDG target on rural access, there are numerous linkages between rural access and the SDGs. Successful scaled-up implementation of rural transport will contribute to realizing SDG 1 to alleviate poverty; SDG 2 to achieve zero hunger and ensure food security; SDG 3 to ensure health and well-being; SDG 4 to provide access to education; SDG 5 to empower women in rural areas; SDG 6 to facilitate access to clean water and sanitation; SDG 8 to promote inclusive growth and economic opportunities; SDG 9 and SDG 11 to contribute to sustainable infrastructure and communities for all; and SDG 13 to increase climate resilience and adaptation in rural areas. In addition to indirect linkages to SDGs and associated targets, there is a direct linkage to rural access in SDG indicator 9.1.1 (Proportion of the rural population who live within 2 km of an all-season road) developed by the Interagency Expert Group on Sustainable Development Goals.

To underscore the critical role of rural transport in achieving the SDGs, a set of key messages has been developed in the framework of the UKAid funded Research for Community Access Partnership (ReCAP), facilitated by the Partnership on Sustainable, Low Carbon Transport (SLoCaT), to explain how rural transport plays a key role in realizing the SDGs.

This paper analyses the contribution of rural transport in achieving the SDGs through the lens of the five key messages, based on research and evidence from a wide range of authoritative sources including ReCAP and preceding programmes.

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