Integrating environmental sustainability into rural road maintenance: a life cycle-based framework for planning and implementation

Rural road infrastructure is vital for socio-economic development in developing regions, yet the environmental impacts of its maintenance remain poorly quantified. This study develops a Life Cycle Assessment (LCA) framework integrated with the Environmental and Social Management Framework (ESMF) to evaluate the environmental performance of rural road maintenance under India’s Pradhan Mantri Gram Sadak Yojana (PMGSY). A cradle-to-site LCA was conducted using secondary data from PMGSY manuals, Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB) and Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) guidelines, with the functional unit defined as maintenance of 1 km of rural road. The ReCiPe 2016 Hierarchist midpoint method assessed six impact categories: global warming potential (GWP), acidification, eutrophication, human toxicity, land use, and fossil resource depletion. Conventional maintenance generated 8,000 kg CO₂-eq/km, with bitumen production contributing 56.3% of total GWP, while diesel combustion was the primary source of acidification and human toxicity. Sustainable alternatives incorporating bio-based binders, reclaimed asphalt pavement (RAP), warm mix asphalt (WMA), and low-emission machinery reduced GWP by 35%, acidification by 43%, and human-toxicity by 38%, while increasing ESMF compliance from 40% to 85%. Montecarlo analysis (n=1,000) confirmed robust hotspot rankings, demonstrating the framework’s applicability as a scalable decision support tool for sustainable rural road maintenance.