A new UN guide, supported by UNOPS, highlights how governments can use long-term infrastructure planning to save money, increase efficiency, and promote sustainability. Managing Infrastructure Assets for Sustainable Development calls to vastly overhaul the way governments build and maintain infrastructure. Everything from water and sanitation systems to energy grids to transportation facilities must be strengthened in order to reduce waste and costs, improve the delivery of essential public services and ensure a sustainable future for all.

Every year during the rainy season, communities in Ed Daein in East Darfur, Sudan face difficulty accessing essential services like schools, markets and hospitals. Roads are prone to flooding, cutting off entire communities and putting people at serious health risks from mosquitos, which are attracted by pools of stagnant water. To help improve road conditions, through a project funded by the Qatar Fund, UNOPS in partnership with the International Labour Organization (ILO) built culverts, or drainage structures, at more than 20 crossing points across Darfur, helping to prevent roads from flooding and improving access for over 2 million people.