Infrastructure Planning in Snow Leopard Landscapes - Grid IP

Overview

The Global Snow Leopard and Ecosystem Protection Program (GSLEP), an alliance of the 12 countries comprising the snow leopard’s range, formed a working group of scientists and conservationists to create guidance for integrating snow leopard safeguards into linear infrastructure planning and development.

Why It Matters

Infrastructure expansion across high-mountain landscapes is increasing pressure on snow leopards through habitat fragmentation, wildlife-vehicle collisions, and other forms of human-wildlife conflict. This guidance outlines how governments and practitioners can reduce these risks by applying avoidance and mitigation measures early and consistently across the project life cycle.

Key Insight

The guidance prioritizes avoiding and minimizing impacts before routes are finalized, treating offsets as a last resort.

Who It’s For

This guidance is for national governments, infrastructure ministries, transport planners, and conservation practitioners responsible for planning, siting, and approving linear infrastructure across snow leopard range countries.

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