Mitigation hierarchy: focus on avoidance measures

Abstract

After more than 10 years of application of the mitigation hierarchy in France, it is admitted that the compensation takes up the main invesments, while the step of avoidance is under applied even though it would be the most profitable to the biodiversity. This study aims to enlight the current practices related to avoidance. It assesses biodiversity targeted by avoidance and reduction measures under the protected species procedure on 18 linear infrastructure projects. Only 8% of the monitored species on site benefit from the measures. The instrument thus allows a suppression of the impacts, but only on a marginal part of the biodiversity. The qualitative analysis of the measurements shows the small leeway to really avoid impacts at the project's scale. These results argue for anticipate avoidance areas at a larger scale, so across plans and programs.