The Wildlife Institute of India, in collaboration with the National Trust for Nature Conservation in Nepal and Biopolis | CIBIO-InBIO, University of Porto in Portugal, is implementing a research project focused on planning mitigation strategies for roads and other linear infrastructure in the Terai Arc Landscape (TAL) to support the landscape's long-term conservation. This presentation, part of a stakeholder workshop, highlights the primary impacts of linear infrastructure—particularly roads—on wildlife in the region.

In Portugal, the white-stork Ciconia ciconia population has significantly increased since the mid-1980’s, along with the number of nests in the transmission grid managed by REN (Rede Eléctrica Nacional, S.A.). Breeding on transmission pylons (particularly at ≥150 kV) is a major concern due to electrical faults caused by nest material or bird droppings. Therefore, in the mid-1990s REN started a nest management program including annual monitoring and translocation/removal of nests in hazardous locations of pylons, installation of deterrents (mainly “anemometers”) in those locations and nesting-platforms in safe locations of pylons.

In this work, framed in the partnership between REN and BIOPOLIS/CIBIO research centre, we evaluated the overall success of the nest-management program in reducing bird-related fault rates in the 2001-2018 period, despite a 3-fold increase in the number of stork-nests on transmission pylons. We also evaluated the effectiveness of “anemometers” (alone) in preventing nest-reconstruction and found opportunities for reducing nest-management efforts.

Scientists and consultants have undertaken extensive road surveys, compiled data from opportunistic roadkill observations, and developed citizen science applications to better understand the mechanisms underlying such events and their potential implications for wildlife populations. However, a significant part of the literature addressing this issue, including research papers, dissertations, reports, and other forms of gray literature is either highly localized or lacks the display of geographic coordinates for roadkill locations. We introduced the largest open-access dataset on roadkill data GLOBAL ROADKILL DATA for terrestrial vertebrates and underscore the advantages of making it open access. 

The response of wildlife populations to mortality resulting from collisions with vehicles is shaped by demographic factors, available habitat and the spatial patterns of the road network. We introduced an innovative spatially explicit individual-based model to predict the extinction risk faced by populations due to road mortality. We present two case studies from India, one on the leopard (Panthera pardus, IUCN Category: Vulnerable), and the other on the leopard cat (Prionailurus bengalensis, Least Concern). We modelled the risk of local extinction for each species, at a 10x10km resolution, in India for 2030, 2050 and 2080, and the effectiveness of mitigation to reduce the risk of local extinction. 

The Global Gateway initiative is a European strategy that aims to enhance sustainable connections across the energy, and transport sectors in both marine and terrestrial environments. Over the period of 2021 to 2027, the European Union plans to mobilize up to €300 billion in investments on high-quality projects, with a focus on countries in Africa, Latin America, and Asia, that encompasses biodiversity-rich areas with numerous threatened species. Our session  aimed to promote a discussion among stakeholders (academia, transport and energy authorities, environmental agencies) regarding environmental assessments, mitigation strategies and monitoring mechanisms that should be addressed by the European Union towards effective implementation of environmental safeguards in the Global Gateway initiative, using the best science-based solutions 

The mortality of wildlife resulting from collisions with vehicles is considered one of the main negative effects of roads on numerous species. Estimates suggest that up to 340 million birds are killed on roads in the USA, with 194 million birds and 29 million mammals affected in Europe. In the United States, these collisions cause approximately 200 human fatalities and 29,000 injuries annually, with associated costs reaching up to US$ 12 billion. Several studies have highlighted sex- and age-related biases, which are likely to have critical implications for population dynamics. Additionally, research indicates that the increased mortality can elevate the risk of local extinction by diminishing the effective population size and gene flow of already rare and threatened species.