ATR42-320 TAXIED OFF A POORLY LIT AND MARKED RAMP INTO THE GRASS; HIT A DITCH AND DAMAGED THE ACFT. JUST PRIOR TO THE EVENT; FLC WAS BLINDED BY LNDG AND TAXI LIGHTS OF ANOTHER TAXIING ACFT. A DC9 DID THE SAME THING THE NIGHT BEFORE.

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AFTER AN ILS APCH AND LNDG ON RWY 8 AT IAH ARPT; COMPLETED THE AFTER LNDG CHKLIST AND CONTACTED GND CTL. I WAS INSTRUCTED TO TAXI TO PARKING VIA TXWYS NA; NK; IAB (INTL TERMINAL) ACROSS THE E BRIDGE; TO THE RAMP. I TAXIED ON TXWY NK TOWARDS THE IAB RAMP AND MADE A L TURN ONTO A CONCRETE PATCH WHICH APPEARED TO JOIN THE IAB RAMP. THE AREA IS POORLY LIT AND THERE WERE NO MARKINGS NOR LIGHTS TO SHOW THE EDGE OF THE RAMP OR TXWY. FURTHERMORE THE LIGHTS ON THE INTL BUILDING ARE POINTED IN A DIRECTION WHICH CREATED A GLARE AND HVY SHADOWS ON THE RAMP AREA. HAVING BELIEVED THAT I WAS ON THE RAMP AREA; I CONTINUED MY L TURN IN AN EASTERLY DIRECTION TO PARALLEL THE INTL BUILDING. THE ACFT EXITED THE CONCRETE SURFACE ONTO THE GRASS SURROUNDING THE RAMP AREA. THE ACFT THEN STRUCK A DRAINAGE DITCH IMPACTING AND COLLAPSING THE NOSE GEAR. THE THROTTLES WERE JERKED FROM MY HANDS AND JAMMED TO APPROX HALF OPEN. (MAINT PERSONNEL STATED THAT WHEN THE NOSE GEAR COLLAPSED IT PULLED THE THROTTLE CABLES CAUSING THE ENGS TO SPOOL UP.) THE ACFT SLID APPROX 8-10 FT AND CAME TO A STOP RESTING ON THE NOSE. THE FO AND I WERE ABLE TO SHUT DOWN THE ENGS BY PLACING THE CONDITION LEVERS IN THE FUEL SHUT OFF POS. THE PROPS NEVER STRUCK THE GND; AND THERE WAS NO INDICATION OF A FIRE. WE CONCLUDED THAT SINCE THERE WERE NO INDICATIONS OF A FIRE OR ANY HAZARD WHICH WOULD CALL FOR AN EMER EVAC; I MADE A PA ANNOUNCEMENT FOR THE PAX TO REMAIN SEATED. I NOTIFIED GND CTL OF OUR POS AND THAT WE NEEDED ASSISTANCE FROM RESCUE CREWS. I THEN HAD MY FO BEGIN THE ACFT TERMINATING CHKLIST TO SHUT DOWN ALL SYS AS I CONTACTED OPS FOR ASSISTANCE. I THEN ENTERED THE CABIN AND TOLD THE FLT ATTENDANT TO OPEN THE MAIN CABIN DOOR; AND ASKED THE PAX IF THERE WERE ANY INJURIES. WE COMPLETED THE TERMINATING CHKLIST FOR THE ACFT AND ASSISTED THE PAX OFF THE ACFT AND ONTO BUSES TO TAKE THEM TO THE TERMINAL. I THEN TURNED THE ACFT OVER TO MAINT PERSONNEL; AND WAS ESCORTED ALONG WITH THE REST OF THE CREW AWAY FROM THE SITE BY AIRLINE PERSONNEL. IT IS INTERESTING TO NOTE THAT MY INCIDENT AT THIS LOCATION WAS NOT THE FIRST. IN FACT THE EVENING BEFORE; A DC9 HAD A SIMILAR INCIDENT; AND LESS THAN 3 MONTHS AGO A DC10 DROPPED 1 OF ITS MAIN GEAR INTO THE MUD AT THE SAME LOCATION.