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Runge CA, Tulloch AIT, Gordon A, Rhodes JR. Quantifying the conservation gains from shared access to linear infrastructure. Conserv Biol 2017; 31:1428-1438. [PMID: 28464304 DOI: 10.1111/cobi.12952] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/27/2016] [Revised: 04/05/2017] [Accepted: 04/08/2017] [Indexed: 06/07/2023]
Abstract
The proliferation of linear infrastructure such as roads and railways is a major global driver of cumulative biodiversity loss. One strategy for reducing habitat loss associated with development is to encourage linear infrastructure providers and users to share infrastructure networks. We quantified the reductions in biodiversity impact and capital costs under linear infrastructure sharing of a range of potential mine to port transportation links for 47 mine locations operated by 28 separate companies in the Upper Spencer Gulf Region of South Australia. We mapped transport links based on least-cost pathways for different levels of linear-infrastructure sharing and used expert-elicited impacts of linear infrastructure to estimate the consequences for biodiversity. Capital costs were calculated based on estimates of construction costs, compensation payments, and transaction costs. We evaluated proposed mine-port links by comparing biodiversity impacts and capital costs across 3 scenarios: an independent scenario, where no infrastructure is shared; a restricted-access scenario, where the largest mining companies share infrastructure but exclude smaller mining companies from sharing; and a shared scenario where all mining companies share linear infrastructure. Fully shared development of linear infrastructure reduced overall biodiversity impacts by 76% and reduced capital costs by 64% compared with the independent scenario. However, there was considerable variation among companies. Our restricted-access scenario showed only modest biodiversity benefits relative to the independent scenario, indicating that reductions are likely to be limited if the dominant mining companies restrict access to infrastructure, which often occurs without policies that promote sharing of infrastructure. Our research helps illuminate the circumstances under which infrastructure sharing can minimize the biodiversity impacts of development.
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Affiliation(s)
- Claire A Runge
- School of Earth and Environmental Sciences, The University of Queensland, Brisbane, QLD, 4072, Australia
- Centre for Biodiversity and Conservation Science, The University of Queensland, Brisbane, QLD, 4072, Australia
- National Center for Ecological Analysis & Synthesis, University of California Santa Barbara, 735 State Street, Santa Barbara, CA, 93101, U.S.A
| | - Ayesha I T Tulloch
- Fenner School of Environment and Society, The Australian National University, Canberra, ACT, 2601, Australia
| | - Ascelin Gordon
- School of Global, Urban and Social Studies, RMIT University, Melbourne, Australia, GPO Box 2476, Melbourne, 3001, Australia
| | - Jonathan R Rhodes
- School of Earth and Environmental Sciences, The University of Queensland, Brisbane, QLD, 4072, Australia
- Centre for Biodiversity and Conservation Science, The University of Queensland, Brisbane, QLD, 4072, Australia
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Prescott GW, Sutherland WJ, Aguirre D, Baird M, Bowman V, Brunner J, Connette GM, Cosier M, Dapice D, De Alban JDT, Diment A, Fogerite J, Fox J, Hlaing W, Htun S, Hurd J, LaJeunesse Connette K, Lasmana F, Lim CL, Lynam A, Maung AC, McCarron B, McCarthy JF, McShea WJ, Momberg F, Mon MS, Myint T, Oberndorf R, Oo TN, Phelps J, Rao M, Schmidt-Vogt D, Speechly H, Springate-Baginski O, Steinmetz R, Talbott K, Than MM, Thaung TL, Thawng SCL, Thein KM, Thein S, Tizard R, Whitten T, Williams G, Wilson T, Woods K, Ziegler AD, Zrust M, Webb EL. Political transition and emergent forest-conservation issues in Myanmar. Conserv Biol 2017; 31:1257-1270. [PMID: 29030915 DOI: 10.1111/cobi.13021] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/18/2016] [Revised: 05/10/2017] [Accepted: 05/19/2017] [Indexed: 06/07/2023]
Abstract
Political and economic transitions have had substantial impacts on forest conservation. Where transitions are underway or anticipated, historical precedent and methods for systematically assessing future trends should be used to anticipate likely threats to forest conservation and design appropriate and prescient policy measures to counteract them. Myanmar is transitioning from an authoritarian, centralized state with a highly regulated economy to a more decentralized and economically liberal democracy and is working to end a long-running civil war. With these transitions in mind, we used a horizon-scanning approach to assess the 40 emerging issues most affecting Myanmar's forests, including internal conflict, land-tenure insecurity, large-scale agricultural development, demise of state timber enterprises, shortfalls in government revenue and capacity, and opening of new deforestation frontiers with new roads, mines, and hydroelectric dams. Averting these threats will require, for example, overhauling governance models, building capacity, improving infrastructure- and energy-project planning, and reforming land-tenure and environmental-protection laws. Although challenges to conservation in Myanmar are daunting, the political transition offers an opportunity for conservationists and researchers to help shape a future that enhances Myanmar's social, economic, and environmental potential while learning and applying lessons from other countries. Our approach and results are relevant to other countries undergoing similar transitions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Graham W Prescott
- Department of Biological Sciences, National University of Singapore, Singapore, 14 Science Drive 4, 117543, Singapore
| | - William J Sutherland
- Department of Zoology, University of Cambridge, Downing Street, Cambridge, CB2 3QZ, U.K
| | - Daniel Aguirre
- International Commission of Jurists, 15, Shan Yeikthar Street, Pann Hlaing Ward, Myanmar
| | - Matthew Baird
- MatthewBaird.com.au, 309 Peaks Garden Condo, 187/14 Thanon Chang Klan, Chiang Mai, 50100, Thailand
| | - Vicky Bowman
- Myanmar Centre for Responsible Business (MCRB), No. 6 (A), Shin Saw Pu Road, Kayinchan Qtr, Ahlone, Yangon, Myanmar
| | - Jake Brunner
- IUCN Indo-Burma Group, 1st floor, Building 2A, Van Phuc Diplomatic Compound, Ba Dinh District, Hanoi, Viet Nam
| | - Grant M Connette
- Smithsonian Conservation Biology Institute, National Zoological Park, 1500 Remount Road, Front Royal, VA 22630, U.S.A
| | - Martin Cosier
- Myanmar Environmental Governance Program, U.S.-Asia Partnerships for Environmental Law, Vermont Law School, 164 Chelsea Street, P.O. Box 96, South Royalton, VT 05068, U.S.A
| | - David Dapice
- John F. Kennedy School of Government, Harvard University, 79 John F. Kennedy Street, Cambridge, MA 02138, U.S.A
| | - Jose Don T De Alban
- Department of Biological Sciences, National University of Singapore, Singapore, 14 Science Drive 4, 117543, Singapore
| | - Alex Diment
- Wildlife Conservation Society, Myanmar, 12 Narnattaw Road, Shwe Kainnayi Housing, Kamaryut Township, 11051, Yangon, Myanmar
| | - Julia Fogerite
- IUCN Myanmar, 212 Sabae Marga Street, Kamaryut, Yangon, Myanmar
| | - Jefferson Fox
- East-West Centre, 1601 East-West Road, Honolulu, HI 96848-1601, U.S.A
| | - Win Hlaing
- FLEGT Secretariat, No 58 Kyaing Tone Street, Nay Pyi Taw, Myanmar
| | - Saw Htun
- Wildlife Conservation Society, Myanmar, 12 Narnattaw Road, Shwe Kainnayi Housing, Kamaryut Township, 11051, Yangon, Myanmar
| | - Jack Hurd
- The Nature Conservancy, 4245 North Fairfax Drive, Suite 100, Arlington, VA 22203-1606, U.S.A
| | - Katherine LaJeunesse Connette
- Smithsonian Conservation Biology Institute, National Zoological Park, 1500 Remount Road, Front Royal, VA 22630, U.S.A
| | - Felicia Lasmana
- Daemeter Consulting, Jl. Tangkuban Perahu 1, Taman Kencana, Bogor, Jawa Barat, 16128, Indonesia
| | - Cheng Ling Lim
- Department of Biological Sciences, National University of Singapore, Singapore, 14 Science Drive 4, 117543, Singapore
| | - Antony Lynam
- Wildlife Conservation Society, Center for Global Conservation, 2300 Southern Boulevard, Bronx, NY 10460, U.S.A
| | - Aye Chan Maung
- Forest Research Institute, Yezin, Zeyarthiri Township, Nay Pyi Taw, Myanmar
| | - Benjamin McCarron
- Asia Research and Engagement, 10 Anson Road, #26-04, International Plaza, 079903, Singapore
| | - John F McCarthy
- Crawford School of Public Policy, Australian National University, JG Crawford Building, 132 Lennox Crossing, Acton ACT 0200, Australia
| | - William J McShea
- Smithsonian Conservation Biology Institute, National Zoological Park, 1500 Remount Road, Front Royal, VA 22630, U.S.A
| | - Frank Momberg
- Fauna & Flora International (FFI) Myanmar, No. 35, 3rd Floor, Shan Gone Condo, San Chaung Township, Yangon, Myanmar
| | - Myat Su Mon
- Forest Department, Ministry of Natural Resources and Environmental Conservation, No. 39, Nay Pyi Taw, Myanmar
| | - Than Myint
- Wildlife Conservation Society, Myanmar, 12 Narnattaw Road, Shwe Kainnayi Housing, Kamaryut Township, 11051, Yangon, Myanmar
| | - Robert Oberndorf
- USAID's Myanmar Land Tenure Project, Implemented by Tetra Tech, No. 17, Kaba Aye Pagoda Road, Yankin Township, Yangon, 11081, Myanmar
| | - Thaung Naing Oo
- Forest Research Institute, Yezin, Zeyarthiri Township, Nay Pyi Taw, Myanmar
| | - Jacob Phelps
- Lancaster Environment Centre, Lancaster University, Lancaster LA1 4YQ, U.K
| | - Madhu Rao
- Department of Biological Sciences, National University of Singapore, Singapore, 14 Science Drive 4, 117543, Singapore
- Wildlife Conservation Society, Center for Global Conservation, 2300 Southern Boulevard, Bronx, NY 10460, U.S.A
| | - Dietrich Schmidt-Vogt
- Chair of Silviculture, Faculty of Environment and Natural Resources, Freiburg University, Tennenbacherstr. 4, 79085 Freiburg, Germany
| | - Hugh Speechly
- FLEGT Secretariat, No 58 Kyaing Tone Street, Nay Pyi Taw, Myanmar
| | - Oliver Springate-Baginski
- School of International Development, University of East Anglia, Norwich Research Park, Norwich, Norfolk, NR4 7TJ, U.K
| | - Robert Steinmetz
- WWF Thailand, 87 Soi Phatholyothin 5, Samsen Nai Phayathai, Bangkok 10400, Thailand
| | - Kirk Talbott
- Environmental Law Institute, 1730 M Street, NW, Suite 700, Washington, D.C. 20036, U.S.A
| | - Maung Maung Than
- RECOFTC, P.O. Box 1111, Kasetsart Post Office, Phahonyothin Road, Bangkok, 10903, Thailand
| | - Tint Lwin Thaung
- RECOFTC, P.O. Box 1111, Kasetsart Post Office, Phahonyothin Road, Bangkok, 10903, Thailand
| | - Salai Cung Lian Thawng
- Pyoe Pin, No. 23, 1st Floor, Strand Mansion, 40th Street, Kyauktada Township, Yangon, Myanmar
| | - Kyaw Min Thein
- Forest Department, Ministry of Natural Resources and Environmental Conservation, No. 39, Nay Pyi Taw, Myanmar
| | - Shwe Thein
- Land Core Group, 18D Sein Lei Yeik Thar Street, Yangon, Myanmar
| | - Robert Tizard
- Wildlife Conservation Society, Myanmar, 12 Narnattaw Road, Shwe Kainnayi Housing, Kamaryut Township, 11051, Yangon, Myanmar
| | - Tony Whitten
- Fauna & Flora International (FFI) Myanmar, No. 35, 3rd Floor, Shan Gone Condo, San Chaung Township, Yangon, Myanmar
| | - Guy Williams
- Environmental Resources Management, 120 Robinson Road, Singapore, #10-01, 068913, Singapore
| | - Trevor Wilson
- Crawford School of Public Policy, Australian National University, JG Crawford Building, 132 Lennox Crossing, Acton ACT 0200, Australia
| | - Kevin Woods
- Department of Environmental Science, Policy and Management, University of California Berkeley, 215 Moses Hall, Berkeley, CA 94720-2308, U.S.A
| | - Alan D Ziegler
- Department of Geography, National University of Singapore, Singapore, 1 Arts Link, 117570, Singapore
| | - Michal Zrust
- Daemeter Consulting, Jl. Tangkuban Perahu 1, Taman Kencana, Bogor, Jawa Barat, 16128, Indonesia
| | - Edward L Webb
- Department of Biological Sciences, National University of Singapore, Singapore, 14 Science Drive 4, 117543, Singapore
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