Impact of huge highways in the jungle

A five-year interdisciplinary study on the Peru-Brazil Inter-Oceanic Highway found that while the road improved infrastructure and food access, it caused biodiversity loss and altered wild rodent populations. In the Madre de Dios region of Peru, researchers found high prevalence of Bartonella (78%) and Leptospira (24%) bacteria in sampled rodents, increasing the risk of lethal infectious diseases for local populations. The study highlights a critical gap in community awareness, as 90% of surveyed residents who saw rodents could not name the diseases they transmit. The report recommends integrated public health strategies and land-use policies that prioritize ecosystem health to mitigate the risks associated with deforestation and agricultural expansion.

• The construction of the Peru-Brazil Inter-Oceanic Highway, a 2,600-kilometer transcontinental route built between 2002 and 2011, resulted in economic and infrastructure benefits but also caused biodiversity loss and transformed fauna dynamics through changes in human land use.
• In the department of Madre de Dios, Peru, the highway's impact on habitat perturbation has altered the distribution of wild rodents, increasing the risk of zoonotic disease transmission to humans. Analysis of 97 rodents across eleven species collected between 2014 and 2015 revealed that 78% were positive for Bartonella bacteria and 24% for Leptospira, both of which can cause lethal infectious diseases.
• There is a significant lack of awareness among local populations regarding the health risks posed by rodents. A survey found that 90% of respondents who observed rodents near their homes were unable to identify the diseases these animals transmit, which may lead to unnecessary morbidity and mortality if health professionals do not consider presumptive treatment.
• Local communities perceive a mix of positive and negative impacts from the highway. Positive effects include better access to healthcare, food variety, and employment. Negative effects include increased crime (sex and drug trafficking), road accidents, soil depletion, flooding, and biodiversity loss driven by gold mining, much of which is illegal.

APA

Bausch, D. (n.d.). Impact of huge highways in the jungle. Inter-American Institute for Global Change Research. https://iai.int/admin/site/sites/default/files/CRN-3076.pdf

Chicago

Bausch, Daniel. Impact of huge highways in the jungle. Inter-American Institute for Global Change Research, n.d. https://iai.int/admin/site/sites/default/files/CRN-3076.pdf.

Wikipedia

{{cite report |last1=Bausch |first1=Daniel |title=Impact of huge highways in the jungle |publisher=Inter-American Institute for Global Change Research |url=https://iai.int/admin/site/sites/default/files/CRN-3076.pdf |access-date=17 August 2026 |via=Climate Insights Directory}}

BibTeX

@techreport{bauschndimpact, author = {Bausch, Daniel}, title = {{Impact of huge highways in the jungle}}, institution = {Inter-American Institute for Global Change Research}, url = {https://iai.int/admin/site/sites/default/files/CRN-3076.pdf}, urldate = {2026-08-17}, note = {Indexed by Climate Insights Directory} }