Paper short abstract:

This paper analyzes the effect played by the transport infrastructure in the development of the Democratic Republic of the Congo, considering the dual role of navigable rivers (first- and second- nature geography) and the relationship existing between man-made and natural transport systems.

Paper long abstract:

This paper analyzes the effect played by the transport infrastructure in the development of the Democratic Republic of the Congo, considering the dual role of navigable rivers and the relationship existing between man-made and natural transport systems. Navigable rivers have a twofold `nature'. On the one hand, they are a pure geographical condition that shapes territories (first-nature geography) and might represent a barrier to economic activity. On the other, navigable rivers are a natural mean of transport and constitute a transport infrastructure that facilitates trade and economic development (second-nature geography). This twofold `nature' is still neglected and has not explicitly been considered in the literature. The spatial distribution of the transport network reveals that man-made and natural means of transport constitute an integrated system of complementary `goods': areas, where rivers are navigable, do not have railways or main roads. If both railways and roads, although in a dilapidated condition, positively affect contemporary economic development and poverty alleviation, the Congo River and the whole network of tributaries and small rivers fall short of the role they could have in the economic growth of the country. I also investigate how beneficial is the inter-modal river-rail-road transport system. The empirical analysis suggests that the waterway transport benefits from the existence of the man-made one, however, navigable rivers are still far from being a real opportunity for the country.