Protecting natural habitats in road development: a multi-level approach

The development of new roads can cause major direct and indirect impacts on natural habitats, and of particular concern for the health of species and ecosystems is habitat fragmentation. To date, traditional project-based mitigation approaches have proven insufficient to arrest habitat fragmentation and biodiversity loss associated with road development. This paper proposes a multi-level approach for road development to address these impacts at various levels, from public/governmental (international, national, sector plans and policies) to private/corporate (voluntary measures, financing, and project design and operations). The paper argues that only multi-level solutions will be able to effectively minimize biodiversity impacts of road infrastructure; efforts made at only one level (as has been common to date) will continue to be insufficient. At the national level, a range of regulatory policies, fiscal policies, and incentive programs can be applied to promote biodiversity-friendly road development. At the sectoral level, considerations for habitat conservation need to be explicitly included in road sector plans through strategic environmental assessments, in addition to effective stakeholder engagement, environmental management, and biodiversity offsets. Lastly, at the project level, engineers have a number of options available to ensure that fragmentation, habitat loss, and other induced impacts are minimized.

• Availability:
  • Find a library where document is available. Order URL: http://www.piarc.org/en/order-library/13949-en-Proceedings%20of%20the%20XXIVth%20World%20Road%20Congress,%20Mexico%20-%202011.htm
• Supplemental Notes:
  • Abstract reprinted with permission of the World Road Association – PIARC.
• Corporate Authors:

  World Road Association (PIARC)

  La Grande Arche, Paroi Nord, Niveau 5
  F-92055 La Defense Cedex,   France 
• Authors:
  • Quintero, J D
  • Posas, P J
  • Shi
• Conference:
  • 24th World Road Congress
  • Location: Mexico City , Mexico
  • Date: 2011-9-26 to 2011-9-30
• Publication Date: 2011

Language

• English

Media Info

• Media Type: Digital/other
• Features: Figures; References;
• Pagination: 18p
• Monograph Title: 24th World Road Congress Proceedings: Roads for a Better Life: Mobility, Sustainability and Development

Subject/Index Terms

• TRT Terms: Biodiversity; Conservation; Environmental impacts; Environmental policy; Environmental protection; Habitat (Ecology); Road construction
• Subject Areas: Economics; Highways; Policy; I10: Economics and Administration; I15: Environment;

Filing Info

• Accession Number: 01498720
• Record Type: Publication
• ISBN: 2840602679
• Files: TRIS
• Created Date: Nov 21 2013 9:07AM