A new handbook recommends how to prevent elephant deaths on roads and railways

Earlier this year, an elephant and its calf were struck by a train near Corbett National Park, resulting in the animals’ immediate deaths. Just a few months earlier, in November last year, a herd of three, including a calf, met a similar fate on a railway line passing through the Buxa Tiger Reserve in West Bengal. Tragic incidents such as these highlight growing concerns about the increasing frequency of elephant deaths due to train collisions and road accidents across the country. According to a government estimate between 2018 and 2023, as many as 75 elephant deaths have been attributed to train collisions.

A new set of guidelines titled Handbook for mitigating the impact of roads and railways on Asian elephants provides environmentally friendly engineering and engineering solutions for poorly planned linear infrastructure that hinders the movement of elephants in Asia. It is crucial to recognize the precarious status of Asian elephants. There are approximately 52,000 individuals left in the wild in 13 countries, of which approximately 30,000 are in India. The handbook was prepared by two IUCN specialist groups: the Connectivity Conservation Specialist Group and the Asian Elephant Specialist Group, in collaboration with the US-based The Center for Large Landscape Conservation (CLLC).

Referring to the increasing incidents of railway lines and highways turning into graveyards for the gentle giants, Vivek Menon, Executive Director of Wildlife Trust of India and Council Member of IUCN, writes in his foreword to the handbook: “There has never been a more urgent It is time for in-depth guidance on linear infrastructure mitigation measures related to elephants. These large, elongated proboscises have been on the receiving end of a number of poorly planned or eco-insensitive development projects that hinder their ability to move from habitat to habitat to meet their basic needs for food, water and security. .”

Due to changes in land use, elephant numbers have decreased

The handbook maps the historical range of Asian elephants, spanning eastern and southern China, westward to eastern Asia, and spanning Bhutan, Nepal, Sri Lanka, Pakistan, Bangladesh and India. It crosses the Iranian coast and reaches the ancient civilization of Mesopotamia, where modern-day Turkey is located. Additionally, the Asian elephant’s historical range extends into Southeast Asia, with its southernmost range extending to the Indonesian island of Sumatra.

According to studies referenced in the manual, changes in land use and land cover since the 18th century have led to a 64% decline in suitable elephant habitats across Asia, equivalent to 3.36 million square kilometers. However, this is only one facet of the broader challenge facing India. Due to extensive habitat loss, elephants are continually pushed closer to human habitats. Linear transportation infrastructure (LTI), such as railways and roads, often seen as signs of progress, cut across vital elephant corridors, fragmenting herds, disrupting gene flow and leading to frequent collisions between vehicles and these majestic animals.

The handbook is the result of specific requests from representatives of all 13 Asian countries at the third Asian Elephant Range States Meeting in 2022 in Kathmandu, Nepal, said Melissa Butynski, International Connectivity Project specialist at CLLC, who co-authored the handbook . .

One of the main focuses of the manual is the implementation of effective mitigation strategies, especially the intersecting structures. “Increasing experience and research worldwide have demonstrated the technical and economic feasibility of intersecting structures and management activities in effectively mitigating the impact of new, improved or existing LTI on wildlife,” Butynski said.

The manual provides precise recommendations and design standards for Asian elephant-specific crossing structures, along with additional mitigation measures such as fencing, low-traffic and low-speed road options, and innovative technologies. For example, crossing structures proposed for roads and railways include underpasses of various sizes suitable for drainages, streams and rivers, as well as viaducts, viaducts and bridges.

Butynski explains that the manual was developed based on the principles of the mitigation hierarchy, where avoidance takes priority, followed by minimization, mitigation, recovery and compensation. “Crossing structures has proven to be very effective, allowing animals to cross above or below LTIs. When used in combination with wildlife fencing and wildlife crossings, they dramatically reduce the incidence of wildlife mortality by as much as 98%,” she points out.

Conservation ecologist Aritra Kshettry from WWF-India sees a broader benefit for biodiversity in general by designing mitigation structures for elephants. “Since elephants are widespread and large animals, any mitigation measures or safeguards designed for them will benefit many countries. common species,” he says. In addition, he proposes to prepare a supplementary document outlining a framework of priority elephant corridors based on their current status. This would enable infrastructure planners to design appropriate structures in accordance with the mitigation hierarchy described in the main document.

Better infrastructure for elephant movements

This is especially relevant for countries like India, where awareness of nature-friendly infrastructure has grown significantly over the past two decades. Sanjay Kumar Tiwari, co-chair of the Asian Elephant Transport Working Group, emphasizes that while the impact on wildlife was not initially an issue when some large linear transport infrastructures were planned, this mindset has evolved over time. “The railway lines that run through forest areas have resulted in the death of more than 360 elephants since 1987. Similarly, irrigation canals in many places have completely restricted the movement of animals, confining them to one place, which has sometimes led to increased human-wildlife conflict. (HWC),” he says.

The handbook suggests that when new roads, railways and other linear infrastructure are planned, especially in areas where wildlife will be affected, an environmental and social impact assessment should be carried out to assess their effects on habitat, wildlife, pollinators and evaluate social well-being. -are from local communities, among other factors.

In a conversation with Mongabay-India, Menon underlines that development worldwide often takes priority over biodiversity conservation. “The way the two can be managed in this case is by using such guidelines in allowing rights of way for this beautiful animal, the elephant, while allowing critical road or rail projects to be delivered where necessary and where ( it) is ecologically suitable. ,” he says.

The authors expect that the manual will serve as a beacon of best practices, increasing the capacity and expertise of wildlife experts, transportation engineers, policy makers and government officials in designing linear infrastructure that effectively mitigates risks to both wildlife and people in the Asian elephant range. addressed and limited. states.

Banner image: An elephant and its calf cross a road in the Anamalai Hills, Tamil Nadu. Poorly planned linear transport infrastructure such as roads and railways result in vehicle collisions with Asian elephants, killing or injuring them. Photo by Sreedhar Vijayakrishnan/NCF.