Recommended practices

RECOMMENDED PRACTICES

Despite its considerable benefits, roadside vegetation is generally not an integral aspect of road development and management. India is a notable exception; it launched the Green Highways Policy in 2015. This policy includes a provision to set aside 1 percent of all road investments for a roadside tree development fund. as outlined in this section, roadside tree planting must be carried out in accordance with good road safety engineering principles and should not introduce unacceptable risk of death and serious injury from vehicle collisions with tree trunks located too close to the carriageway where adequate barrier protection is not provided.1 Roadside tree planting undertaken in this manner should be systematically integrated into all road-building programs, in particular for unpaved roads. Roadside vegetation should be planned in detail as part of road development programs, showing the main objectives of the roadside vegetation (dust control, beautification, improved visibility, erosion control, and so on) and the preferred plantings for different roadside stretches. Site characteristics, such as rock content, soil depth, accessibility, steepness of slopes, and access to water resources, as well as road visibility, expected speeds, and impact risks, need to be assessed. Tree species should be chosen that will provide economic and environmental benefits, and local communities should be actively engaged in management of plantings (photo 12.2). The remainder of this chapter discusses recommended practices for developing roadside vegetation.

PHOTO 12.2

Roadside tree-planting campaign in Amhara, Ethiopia

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