Save Polesia

Saving Europe's Amazon. Preventing the E40 waterway. Partnership of @FZS_Frankfurt @NECU_saveplanet & @OTOP_tweets

[Save Polesia @savePolesia]

💙Watch the moving short documentary about #WeStopE40 action made by Save Polesia & @WeMoveEU supporter Jannis Bierschenk 👉https://t.co/q2PuDfJ4lG

#SavePolesia #stop_E40

[Save Polesia @savePolesia]

The Verdict: you can’t build a global logistics chain on rivers that disappear in droughts. Investing in old-fashioned infrastructure like #E40 is a trap. It’s time to invest in natural infrastructure—restoring wetlands is the only viable strategy for a drying continent. #stopE40

[Save Polesia @savePolesia]

Europe’s water arteries are gasping for air. From the Rhine to the Vistula, summer 2026 wasn’t just a heatwave—it was a structural shift. As we look at the data, the argument for mega-projects like the #E40Waterway collapses. Here is the hydrological reality.👇
📷Vistula, M. Elas

[Save Polesia @savePolesia]

🇺🇦🇧🇾 The Dnieper & Pripyat. The upper reaches and the Pripyat (the other key parts of #E40) reached record lows. Data from Ukrhydromet & Belhydromet confirms severe shallowings, threatening local water security and ecosystems. 💧📉

[Save Polesia @savePolesia]

#InternationalDayofCleanAir reminder: wetlands are natural air filters.

They:
-Capture fine dust on plant surfaces
-Prevent soil erosion & dust storms
-Lock in pollutants that would otherwise become airborne when drained

Protecting wetlands = protecting clean air.
#SavePolesia

[Save Polesia @savePolesia]

But we remain vigilant. The Vistula is safe for now, and we will continue fighting to protect Poland's queen of rivers. 🌊💙
#SaveTheVistula #SavePolesia #Siarzewo  #stop_E40

[Save Polesia @savePolesia]

Since 2017, the fight to save Poland's wild river has been a gruelling legal marathon. On 19 June the Vistula finally caught a break.👇

📷The Vistula River by Marek Elas

[Save Polesia @savePolesia]

Is it 100% over? Not yet.

Polish Waters can still file an appeal to the Supreme Administrative Court. This legal process could drag on for years...

[Save Polesia @savePolesia]

📉 Migratory freshwater fish:
-81% since 1970 (UN assessment).
🌍 97% of assessed species face extinction globally.

🇵🇱 Włocławek already fragments the Vistula. E40 would add more dams – sealing the fate of Salmon, Lamprey & Eel.
#MigratoryFishDay #Stop_E40
📷Vistula, Marek Elas

[Save Polesia @savePolesia]

The European Pond #Turtle thrives in calm #wetlands: marshes, ponds, slow-moving rivers.
This species is disappearing across Europe due to wetland drainage & habitat loss.
The E40 would devastate #Polesia's turtle habitats. Protect them! ✊
#WorldTurtleDay
📷Daniel Rosengren/ FZS

[Save Polesia @savePolesia]

🌿#BiodiversityDay fact: Healthy biodiversity needs connected landscapes.

Polesia's rivers, wetlands & forests form a living network for migrating birds, spawning fish & roaming mammals like Lynx & Wolf.

The #E40Waterway would sever this network.

📚 👉https://t.co/jKHoVUZXxZ

[Save Polesia @savePolesia]

🔍 Spotlight: Chornobyl Reserve – Emerald site with Natura 2000-level biodiversity:
🐺 Bears, lynx, wolves, otters
🦅 245 bird species incl. White-tailed Eagle, Black Stork
🌳 1,200+ plants, 19 habitats

E40 dredging risks remobilising radioactive sediments. 🚫
#Natura2000Day

[Save Polesia @savePolesia]

🌿 Today Emerald, tomorrow #Natura2000

Ukraine's Emerald sites meet the same scientific criteria as Natura 2000.

Yet the planned #E40Waterway directly threatens 17 of these sites + 2 indirectly (13,046 km² total).
1/2 👇

📷Sunset in Polesia, Daniel Rosengren / FZS

[Save Polesia @savePolesia]

📉 Up to 50% population decline predicted for #birds in Lower Wieprz, #Natura2000 site in 🇵🇱.

If the #E40waterway proceeds, species like Common Shelduck, Goosander & terns face severe losses.

#EU-protected nature shouldn't be negotiable. ✊

📷Wieprz river by Marek Elas

[Save Polesia @savePolesia]

Natura 2000 site under threat: Middle Vistula Valley
This 260km protected river stretch is 🇵🇱's KEY breeding ground for Mew Gull, Little Tern &Common Ringed Plover
The proposed #E40Waterway would straighten, dam &destroy its natural braided habitat.
📷Little Tern, Siarhei Zuyonak