Guiding the Future of Linear Infrastructure Development in Snow Leopard Landscapes

The guide outlines a framework for sustainable linear infrastructure (LI) development in snow leopard habitats, emphasizing the mitigation hierarchy—avoid, minimize, mitigate, restore, and offset. It details strategies across the project life cycle, from policy development and spatial planning to construction and maintenance, to reduce habitat fragmentation, wildlife-vehicle collisions, and other ecological disturbances. The document highlights critical knowledge gaps regarding snow leopard-specific crossing structures and calls for multidisciplinary collaboration and inclusive community consultation to protect biodiversity and ecosystem services.

• Linear infrastructure (LI), including roads, railways, power lines, and fences, threatens snow leopards through habitat fragmentation, wildlife-vehicle collisions, and increased human access, which facilitates illegal hunting and trade.
• The document advocates for the mitigation hierarchy as the primary framework for managing environmental impacts, prioritizing avoidance of critical habitats and movement corridors as the most effective measure.
• There is a significant lack of tested, species-specific engineering solutions for snow leopards; currently, no overpasses or underpasses have been specifically designed or built for them or their prey.
• Mongolia has established a national standard for wildlife-friendly fences (MNS 7042:2024) that prohibits barbed wire to prevent migratory animals from becoming entangled and ensures unhindered movement for wildlife.
• Construction activities in snow leopard landscapes often introduce feral dogs, which compete with snow leopards for prey and can cause significant livestock mortality.
• Effective infrastructure planning requires the integration of biodiversity into decision-making at all levels, including the use of Strategic Environmental Assessments (SEAs) and Environmental and Social Impact Assessments (ESIAs).
• Inclusive consultation with Indigenous Peoples and Local Communities (IPs and LCs) is essential to identify negative impacts and ensure Free, Prior, and Informed Consent (FPIC) during the project life cycle.
• Climate risk assessments are critical for LI in these regions to account for hazards such as landslides, floods, and avalanches, which can lead to infrastructure failure and ecological damage.
• The document identifies three primary knowledge gaps for future work: projections for all forms of LI development in the range, identification of mitigation solutions based on snow leopard behavior, and specific engineering adjustments for diverse geological and cultural contexts.

APA

Bayandonoi, G., Bhatnagar, Y. V., Borchers, D., Butt, H., Butynski, M., Buyanaa, C., Dhakal, M., Dorji, P., Freund, E., Hornett, D., Jagenia, R. K., Khan, N. A., Khan, M. S. H., Lkhagvajav, P., Nawaz, M. A., Neupane, P., Newman, K., Rosen, T., Sharma, K., ... Parker, M. (2025). Guiding the Future of Linear Infrastructure Development in Snow Leopard Landscapes. WWF International. https://www.worldwildlife.org/documents/738/7f9g41e87d_Guidance_for_Linear_Infrastructure_2025June26_FINAL.pdf

Chicago

Bayandonoi, Gantulga, Yash Veer Bhatnagar, David Borchers, Hamza Butt, Melissa Butynski, Chimeddorj Buyanaa, Maheshwar Dhakal, et al. Guiding the Future of Linear Infrastructure Development in Snow Leopard Landscapes. WWF International, 2025. https://www.worldwildlife.org/documents/738/7f9g41e87d_Guidance_for_Linear_Infrastructure_2025June26_FINAL.pdf.

Wikipedia

{{cite report |last1=Bayandonoi |first1=Gantulga |last2=Bhatnagar |first2=Yash Veer |last3=Borchers |first3=David |last4=Butt |first4=Hamza |last5=Butynski |first5=Melissa |last6=Buyanaa |first6=Chimeddorj |last7=Dhakal |first7=Maheshwar |last8=Dorji |first8=Phub |last9=Freund |first9=Evan |display-authors=etal |title=Guiding the Future of Linear Infrastructure Development in Snow Leopard Landscapes |publisher=WWF International |date=June 2025 |url=https://www.worldwildlife.org/documents/738/7f9g41e87d_Guidance_for_Linear_Infrastructure_2025June26_FINAL.pdf |access-date=23 October 2026 |via=Climate Insights Directory}}

BibTeX

@techreport{bayandonoi2025guiding, author = {Bayandonoi, Gantulga and Bhatnagar, Yash Veer and Borchers, David and Butt, Hamza and Butynski, Melissa and Buyanaa, Chimeddorj and Dhakal, Maheshwar and Dorji, Phub and Freund, Evan and Hornett, Daniel and Jagenia, Rakesh Kumar and Khan, Neshmiya Adnan and Khan, Muhammad Samar Hussain and Lkhagvajav, Purevjav and Nawaz, Muhammad Ali and Neupane, Pramod and Newman, Kate and Rosen, Tatjana and Sharma, Koustubh and Sharma, Rishi Kumar and Shrestha, Sheren and Solanki, Ridhima and Teixeira, Fernanda and Tshering, Doley and Din, Jaffar Ud and Vannelli, Kate and Gregory, Tremaine and Lucas, Chloe and Parker, Megan}, title = {{Guiding the Future of Linear Infrastructure Development in Snow Leopard Landscapes}}, institution = {WWF International}, year = {2025}, month = jun, url = {https://www.worldwildlife.org/documents/738/7f9g41e87d_Guidance_for_Linear_Infrastructure_2025June26_FINAL.pdf}, urldate = {2026-10-23}, note = {Indexed by Climate Insights Directory} }