Road map to save environment | Down To Earth
India plans to construct over 0.8 million kilometres of roads by 2025 to
connect every habitat in the country, as per the targets outlined in
the government's Rural Road Development Vision. Worldwide, 25 million
kilometres of roads are proposed to be constructed by 2050—a 60 per cent
increase in road length from 2010—and nine-tenths of this new
construction is expected in developing countries such as India. But
construction of roads often harms biodiversity and destroys wild
habitat. To weigh the potential benefits associated with road
construction against their environmental impact, William Laurance,
professor at James Cook University, Australia, and colleagues conducted a
study and came up with a map that can help policymakers take informed
decisions on where to construct roads.
