Protected areas surrounding Route 2
Panthera Costa Rica
Mitigation measures on roads for wildlife and drivers safety
Yosette, Erika and Daniela monitoring wildlife on Route 2
Panthera Costa Rica
Monitoring use of culverts by wildlife under Route 2
Panthera Costa Rica
Coyote using a culvert as a safe passage under Route 2
Panthera Costa Rica
In biodiverse regions roads without mitigation measures for wildlife are causing ecosystem fragmentation. This problem is bigger if the road is between protected areas and when endangered species are dying due to vehicle collision. The effectiveness of the mitigation measures for wildlife is higher when they are implemented based on local wildlife data collection. Implementing mitigation measures like wildlife crossings can start restoring the ecosystem connectivity between protected areas in presence of a road. This measures also make the road safer for drivers, due to the reduction of car collisions with wildlife.
1. Scientific study to determine road impact on wildlife and the mitigation measures required to reduce the impact;
2. Team work: Government (environment and transportation) and researchers;
3. Long-term management;
4. Legislation to support the implementation of measures;
5. Budget to implement the measures;
A previus sensibilization work needs to be done to the government representatives. In Costa Rica we have 10 years working on the recommendation of mitigation measures on roads for wildlife. It is a long way, but when the mitigation measures are expensive you need a long-term management, to achieve solid results. Mitigation measures on new road projects are been implemented since 2015, but for existing roads we just found the way for its implementation, through a collaborative work, in 2020. This project is one of our fist attempts at a national level to activate the process of implementing measures on existing roads , through the maintaneiance activities.