Scientist: Wildlife Can Help Keep Poland's Eastern Border Safe

Natural forests, i.e. "unchanged ecosystems full of biomass and dead trees - lying, standing, dense, without vast open areas" - can constitute a significant security measure against the potential incursion of foreign troops through Poland's northern and eastern borders - emphasized Dr. hab. Michał Żmihorski, director of IBS PAN.

He spoke about the possibilities of using the natural environment to secure the border during the anniversary conference of the State Council for Nature Conservation "100th anniversary of PROP – let's talk about the challenges of nature conservation in Poland", which takes place at the Institute of Oceanology of the Polish Academy of Sciences in Sopot.

Border security, the IBS PAN professor noted, citing the opinions of other naturalists, also benefits areas where "there are no roads that would allow for effective, rapid movement from the border, for example, into the interior of our country." He noted that this is also a significant advantage and significantly slows down and channels the potential movement of enemy troops in the event of an invasion.

Wetlands also provide an almost ideal barrier for foreign troops. Żmihorski recalled that this spring, during military exercises conducted in Lithuania (near the Belarusian border), an M88A2 Hercules recovery vehicle sank in a swamp, killing four American soldiers. "The vehicle, weighing about 60 tons, was attempting to drive through a small swamp," he said.

Presenting the opinion of the scientific community, the director of IBS PAN emphasized that such natural objects present on the border, as well as the entire structure of the natural environment, unaltered by humans, with high humidity, "may be, in a sense, a substitute or supplement to the eastern shield, i.e. minefields, concrete dams, etc.".

Prof. Żmihorski recalled that over the past year, scientists have been in contact with "people at various levels" who decide about the East Shield – the shape of this project and its implementation.

"I'm positively surprised by at least the declarative side of the dialogue with the Ministry of National Defense and Polish Army officers about their belief—and they say it bluntly—that 'the terrain is fighting,' that such natural areas, left on Poland's eastern border, are an effective, active barrier to potential military aggression. And such areas should be protected. What's more, they should be restored," he concluded, summarizing his discussions with military officials.

Prof. Żmihorski noted that the opinion of the military, who decide what the East Shield will look like, where and how it will be built, etc., is "absolutely crucial."

According to the scientist, the military appreciates the usefulness of nature. Citing a meeting with Brigadier General Jacek Sankowski, director of the Department of Infrastructure at the Ministry of National Defense, Michał Żmihorski said that the military is familiar with, among other things, the vision of "recreating the marshes of the 1930s." The general "found such an (old - PAP) map and requests that this type of peat bog be actively restored; it is an effective barrier against particularly heavy military equipment that could be used against Poland," Professor Żmihorski reported.

He added that the army "noticed and would like to use such wild areas," which means that there is "a convergence of goals between nature conservation and border protection."

Professor Żmihorski also listed the potential drawbacks of using natural areas for defensive purposes. Regarding forests, they could no longer be used as they are now, i.e., by clearing or logging, because "deforestation or commercial forests cease to be a barrier." It's also impossible to maintain a dense network of forest roads or maintain roads, for example, by clearing fallen trees.

Currently, there is a network of roads and dividing lines in the Białowieża Forest, "which are relatively passable," Żmihorski concluded. He added that many of them are very wide, even 7-9 meters wide. "If we expect a visit from 'guests from the east,' the current road congestion significantly compromises our defense of this area," the biologist concluded.

He also spoke about the importance of "maintaining the proper humidity in the habitat," while currently in many forested and open areas on the Polish border, such as the Białowieża Forest, "we have constantly functioning drainage systems." A network of drainage ditches constantly drains water, meaning that the marshes "that we count on to protect us" are being drained.

According to naturalists, nature conservation and border protection are not inherently contradictory. "These goals are surprisingly convergent, and the military and the Ministry of National Defense—from the minister, through the generals responsible for the Eastern Shield, to the officers also working in the field—clearly declare that nature conservation and the protection of natural ecosystems in the borderlands are a very effective way to deter potential aggression," said Professor Żmihorski.

Shield East—announced by the Ministry of National Defense and the military in the spring of 2024—is a deterrence and defense program developed as a result of events beyond and on Poland's eastern border. Since February 2022, Russia has been engaged in full-scale aggression against Ukraine. Migration pressure on the Polish border from Belarus and Russia continues. Other incidents have also occurred, such as the flight of Belarusian helicopters over Białowieża and the death of a Polish soldier while serving on the border.

The goal of Shield East is to secure the borders with Russia and Belarus. This program involves the construction of fortifications and terrain obstacles along Poland's eastern and northern borders. Fortifications, various equipment depots, as well as reconnaissance and anti-drone installations, among other things, will be deployed along the border for approximately 800 km, encompassing the Pomeranian, Warmian-Masurian, Podlaskie, Lublin, and Subcarpathian Voivodeships. The Ministry of National Defense's plan calls for the construction of "various types of structures using concrete – hedgehogs, poles, barriers, barbed wire, fences, anti-tank ditches, minefields," the professor recalled. He added that scientists working in the field and residents of the Białowieża Forest and surrounding areas are slowly beginning to observe such investments; excavators are operating in many places, and numerous concrete and reinforced concrete towers and other structures are being constructed.

Similar field work has also begun in the Baltic countries, for example, massive anti-tank ditches are being dug, and in Lithuania, land improvement work is underway to secure the border.

Professor Żmihorski noted, however, that the East Shield program in its current form involves significant interference with the natural environment. It is being implemented in northern and eastern Poland, where there are "many protected areas, highly valuable habitats for rare species, Natura 2000 sites, national parks, and other forms of nature conservation." Implementing the plans presented by the Ministry of National Defense there would therefore, in a sense, mean an "ecological disaster" and the "complete destruction of many valuable habitats."

According to naturalists, the eastern shield - if it is implemented in accordance with the previously presented intentions - will be an "ecological and natural disaster".

"It seems we desperately need further dialogue and cooperation between the Ministry of National Defense and the military, as well as the environmental sector," said Professor Żmihorski. "We also urgently need to change the way we manage border ecosystems, because currently, it seems as if we are oblivious to the changing priorities regarding these forests and the importance of wetlands in the eastern and northern parts of the country."

He added that there are numerous examples from Ukraine (and broader military history) that this type of solution – using nature as a barrier – works.

- We urgently need to change our priorities and consider (...) whether maximizing forest or agricultural production is really a price worth paying for the reduced defense of the eastern flank - the scientist appealed.

The Director of the Institute of Research and Development of the Polish Academy of Sciences (IBS PAN) recalled that the concept, coined "Green Shield East," developed by scientists from PROP, was presented a year ago. It assumes that the natural environment helps secure the Polish border and the country's security. At the same time, it allows for the reconciliation of national security and the preservation of valuable natural areas.

"This is probably the only sensible solution currently available that would allow us to protect these valuable areas and, on the other hand, somehow implement the Eastern Shield. Because it will definitely be implemented. There's no point in deluding ourselves that environmental arguments will be more important in the eyes of politicians than national security. So if we create such a collision: security or nature, then nature automatically has no chance," he said.

The PROP anniversary session will run until Friday; sessions are available online .

Anna Ślązak (PAP)

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