(Ferrovial) Quality & Environment

Book presentation: Ecological restoration of areas affected by transport infrastructure. The Scientific basis for technical solutions

Teresa Ribera, Spanish Secretary of State for Climate Change, alongside Álvaro Echániz, CEO of Ferrovial’s Environment Division and FISA, and Luis Garcia-Linares, General Corporate Manager of OHL, have presented the book "Ecological restoration of areas affected by infrastructure transport. The Scientific Basis for technical solutions", in a ceremony held at the headquarters of The Spanish Railway Foundation (Fundación de los Ferrocarriles Españoles).

This publication was borne out of the project EXPERTAL, whose objective was to develop an experimental basis for the ecological sustainability of highway embankments. It has been developed since 2006 by the Biodiversity Foundation (Fundación Biodiversidad) in collaboration with the Higher Council for Scientific Research (CSIC) at the University Rey Juan Carlos and Cintra.

The areas affected by transport infrastructure represent about 5,000 km2, where relevant plant communities are developed for their uniqueness (ruderal and roadside vegetation) in addition to those exotic plant species which, if not controlled, can easily spread and become invasive. Restoration of these areas is necessary as it helps to minimize the negative impacts of transport infrastructure and thus conserve biodiversity. This book provides some basic advice and guidance so as to be able to develop a more sustainable approach to the design, implementation and maintenance of transport infrastructure. It also helps to respond to the new reality that these areas are growing in size, something which has been identified as a principal cause of biodiversity loss.

Download the book (Only available in Spanish)