Infrastructure expansion challenges sustainable development in Papua New Guinea.

ABSTRACT: The island of New Guinea hosts the third largest expanse of tropical rainforest on the planet. Papua New Guinea-comprising the eastern half of the island-plans to nearly double its national road network (from 8,700 to 15,000 km) over the next three years, to spur economic growth. We assessed these plans using fine-scale biophysical and environmental data. We identified numerous environmental and socioeconomic risks associated with these projects, including the dissection of 54 critical biodiversity habitats and diminished forest connectivity across large expanses of the island. Key habitats of globally endangered species including Goodfellow's tree-kangaroo (Dendrolagus goodfellowi), Matchie's tree kangaroo (D. matschiei), and several birds of paradise would also be bisected by roads and o

SUBMITTER: Alamgir M 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC6656346 | biostudies-literature | 2019

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature