By 2050, the world will see the most explosive era of road expansion in human history, with a 60 per cent increase in the world's network of paved roads - enough to circle the globe more than 600 times.

And according to the authors of a new study published today in the journal Nature, it's got the potential to cause massive conflict and environmental destruction.

But to help limit the conflict and loss, the paper presents a global road map for where roads should and should not be built.

The paper, A global strategy for road building discussed in this program is available here (0) in Nature for a subscription price.