Making highways safe for wildlife

Path for wildlife: To lessen the impact of roads on forests and wildlife movements, viaducts are being built as they provide a corridor beneath which links up spliced forest. This viaduct is at the Aring-Tasik Kenyir road in Terengganu. - TAN CHENG LI/The Star

AS road and highway developments accelerate, the need to integrate biodiversity considerations early in planning and design has become increasingly urgent to enhance human-wildlife coexistence, reduce risks to road users and avoid irreversible environmental impacts that are costly to address later.

Highways must therefore be designed not only for connectivity and economic growth, but also to protect human safety and the natural environment. Notably, the Sabah Wildlife Department has also highlighted the need for a more inclusive and consultative planning process to ensure that environmental and biodiversity considerations are integrated from the very beginning of road development.