Environmental scientists have carried out the first standardised global review of the potential risks and benefits to people and nature from planned road and rail projects. The study reveals that holistic planning of major road and railway infrastructure can better protect nature, mitigate emissions and enhance economic benefit.
Launched at the UN’s Biodiversity Conference (COP15), today’s new report, Mapping Environmental Risks and Socio-Economic Benefits of Planned Transport Infrastructure: A Global Picture was produced by a team of experts from the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) and the United Nations Environment Programme World Conservation Monitoring Centre (UNEP-WCMC).
Until now, there has not been a comparable global review of the ecological risks and economic benefits of planned transport infrastructure projects. Using novel methods and metrics, the researchers forecast the impact that large-scale transport infrastructure projects currently underway or planned in 137 countries will have on wildlife populations, carbon storage and nitrogen retention, in comparison to the anticipated boosts to jobs and countries’ GDP.