Exercises

Safe passage

For some time, wildlife officials have proposed the creation of a safe crossing area for animals on the highway that divides two areas of forest at the Khao Yai-Dong Phya Yen world heritage site.

Read the following story from the Bangkok Post to learn more about this project.

When Khao Yai-Dong Phya Yen was declared a world heritage site in 2005, the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organisation called for a wildlife corridor to be created to allow wild animals to move freely between the Khao Yai and Thap Lan national parks, which are divided by a highway.

It is believed that this would also help the animals with breeding.

HIGH HIGHWAY

Since then, wildlife and highway officials have discussed how the corridor should be created.

"We have reached the conclusion that an elevated highway is the best way to create the corridor, although it might be expensive," National Parks, Wildlife and Plant Conservation Department chief Jatuporn Buruspat said.

The plan to build an elevated road where the Khao Yai and Thap Lan national parks meet will be submitted to the UNESCO, according to Jatuporn.

DIFFERENT OPTIONS

The elevated highway is one of several options proposed by a consultancy firm hired by the department to study the matter. The other options include a highway tunnel under the mountain, or overpasses and underpasses with crossings at different locations.

Jatuporn believes that the mountain tunnel is the ideal option, because it would have the least impact on the ecosystem. However, the cost to build such a tunnel would be around 1.3 billion baht per kilometre, whereas the elevated highway would cost only 510 million baht per kilometre.

WILDLIFE WORRIES

A wildlife advocacy group has voiced concerns over the impact of the elevated highway on the natural environment in the area.

The International Union for Conservation of Nature has recommended that the department build an underpass instead of the elevated highway, as it would better facilitate the movement of wild animals.

EXCERISES

Read the story. Then, decide whether the following statements are true of false.

1. The plan to build the elevated road will be submitted to the International Union for Conservation of Nature.

2. Khao Yai-Dong Phya Yen was declared a world heritage site in 2005.

3. The elevated road will cost 1.3 billion baht per kilometre to make.

4. The wildlife corridor is expected to help wild animals with breeding.

	corridor (n): a long narrow strip of land that connects two different areas of land elevated (adj): above the level of the ground consultancy (n): a company that gives expert advice on a particular subject to other people or organisations overpass (n): a bridge that carries one road over another one underpass (n): a road or path that goes under another road or railway ecosystem (n): all the plants and living creatures in a particular area considered in relation to their physical environment voice (v): to tell people your feelings or opinions about something habitat (n): the place where a particular type of animal or plant is normally found facilitate (v): to make an action or a process possible or easier