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Linking-up the German roads for animals and for a better traffic safety

Apr 13, 2010
The German Government is developing a National Connectivity Programme which foresees to build wild animal crossings at the most important sites of migrating corridors. This year the first systematic research on ecological corridors in Germany has been finished, representing an important scientific groundwork for the implementation of the Programme.
The new Alpine-Carpathian Corridor project intends to contribute to the re-establishment of the traditional trekking routes of deer, lynx and other wild animals in the region of Vienna/A - Bratislava/SK - Sopron/H.
Image caption:
The new Alpine-Carpathian Corridor project intends to contribute to the re-establishment of the traditional trekking routes of deer, lynx and other wild animals in the region of Vienna/A - Bratislava/SK - Sopron/H. © S. Hölscher
The National Connectivity Programme will address different aspects of connectivity, e.g. traffic planning and investments, nature protection, spatial planning, research, awareness raising and international co-operation.
The investments in animal crossings will be done on the basis of a priority paper, listing the countries most important connectivity sites. In the frame of an economic stimulus package approximately 69 million euro should be used by the year of 2011 to support seventeen measures, among these predominantly the building of green bridges. The National Connectivity Programme is based on the fact that investing in connectivity helps rising the traffic safety and in the same time serves nature protection.
The German road network is one of the densest in whole Europe. It causes a strong fragmentation of habitats and represents a high level of risk for migrating animals as well as for drivers. Every year more than 3'000 persons get injured on German roads, more than 20 get killed. The German Hunting Association estimates at least 250'000 accidents involving wild animals each year. These accidents cause material cost amounting to 500 million euro.
Infolink: www.bmu.de/pressemitteilungen/aktuelle