Aging infrastructure creates opportunities for cost‐efficient restoration of aquatic ecosystem connectivity

摘要: A hallmark of industrialization is the construction dams for water management and roads transportation, leading to fragmentation aquatic ecosystems. Many nations are striving address both maintenance backlogs mitigation environmental impacts as their infrastructure ages. Here, we test whether accounting road repair needs could offer opportunities boost conservation efficiency by piggybacking connectivity restoration projects on maintenance. Using optimization models align fish passage sites with likely priorities, find potential increases in return-on-investment ranging from 17% 25%. Importantly, these gains occur without compromising or priorities; simply communicating openly about objectives candidate enables greater accomplishment at current funding levels. Society embraces reliable thriving fisheries, so overcoming this coordination challenge should be feasible. Given deferred crises many types infrastructure, there widespread enhance cost effectiveness investments coordinating renewal efforts.