![Polish opposition parties must block the destruction of Europe’s Amazon [Promoted content] | INFBusiness.com](/wp-content/uploads/2023/10/a764f21986af1af1e50cbd331eb230f6.png "“Europe’s Amazon” is threatened by a waterway project across Poland, Belarus and Ukraine. On the verge of parliamentary elections in Poland, 135 thousand people signed a petition calling politicians to stop the project of the E40 waterway.")
“Europe’s Amazon” is threatened by a waterway project across Poland, Belarus and Ukraine. On the verge of parliamentary elections in Poland, 135 thousand people signed a petition calling politicians to stop the project of the E40 waterway.
Agata Skrzypczyk s a journalist, public speaker and project manager specialized in renewable energy and sustainable development.
The E40 waterway is an unclear plan to connect the Baltic Sea with the Black Sea, spanning approximately 2,000 km through Poland, Belarus, and Ukraine. The project in its planned route will pass through the Polesia region, one of the most pristine and largest wetlands and forest regions on the European continent, called Europe’s Amazon.
Concerns about the environmental impact of the project have been raised by scientists, who in 2021 included it among the top 15 nature conservation issues worldwide. Throughout the entire project planning phase, E40 has not undergone a comprehensive environmental impact assessment. This assessment would determine the potential risks associated with the project in the three countries involved.
Constructing the waterway would require dredging, damming, straightening, and deepening of pristine rivers. This would lead to the destruction of enormous floodplains and wetlands, home to rare animals and plants, including eagles, bison, bears, wolves and lynx. Ultimately, this destruction would impact ecosystems beyond Polesia, across Europe.
Furthermore, a recent economic analysis by the Dutch consultancy Langhout Ecologisch Advies reveals that the financial justification for the project is unclear as well. The economic analysis made in 2022 by the Dutch consultancy Langhout Ecologisch Advies reveals the serious financial consequences of pursuing the E40 Waterway.
The analysis shows long-term losses in the billions of euros that would result from the construction of the key part of the proposed waterway from Gdańsk (the Vistula to Dęblin) to Brest in Belarus. The report concludes that the construction of the approximately 700-kilometres long Polish section of the waterway is too expensive to be economically justified. It was also stated that shipping would unnecessarily compete with green rail transport, causing great damage to the environment.
The Langhout Ecologisch Advies report shows that the investment will never really pay off. The analysis takes into account many factors, including construction time and volume of transport, and shows that even in optimistic scenarios, long-term losses on the Polish section alone would amount to billions of euros, and the cost would be of course borne by taxpayers.
Even more concerning is the possibility that some of these actions might be financed using funds from European taxpayers. The European Commission is allocating funding for large-scale cross-border water transport projects, and this particular project could be among the recipients. Unfortunately, awareness about Europe’s Amazon and the potential risk of its destruction being supported by EU taxpayers is alarmingly low.
The main push for the projects comes from Poland. Preparations for the construction of a new dam on the Vistula River in Siarzewo are currently underway, marking the initial phase of the E40 waterway. Despite the Polish government’s assertion that the dam is crucial for commerce, energy production, and water management, this viewpoint is a misconception. Dams and river regulations are not sustainable transportation solutions and can have a catastrophic impact on Natura 2000 sites.
Poland is on the brink of parliamentary elections, scheduled for the 15th of October. This vote has the potential to reshape Polish politics, steering away from the dominance of the right-wing party PiS. The current government has shown limited favorability toward nature conservation, seldom prioritizing the environment in political decisions.
With the upcoming elections, there is a significant opportunity for the idea of the E40 waterway to be permanently removed from Polish politics. This is a crucial moment for politicians to evaluate the project.
A strong campaign led by WeMove Europe and the Save Polesia coalition with the Polish Society for the Protection of Birds (OTOP) has gained significant momentum in Poland and across Europe. With the support of 135 thousand signatures on a petition, this campaign has caught the attention of major opposition parties in Poland.
In the last weeks of the campaign, the group of campaigners met with representatives of major opposition parties in Poland. One of them being Adam Bodnar, former Ombudsman in Poland. A parliamentary debate to reevaluate the project would be a step in the right direction.
The campaign against E40 calls politicians to take action while also being an example of remarkable transnational citizens mobilization. With 135 thousand signatures on the petition, significant interest, and widespread engagement on social media, the campaign has gained momentum. A successful photo action encouraged individuals to share nature-related pictures on social platforms while directing their concerns to elected officials. A documentary movie was filmed showing a barge journey down the Vistula River, featuring a large banner reading “We Stop E40.” To further engage the public, a quiz was developed as an interactive game to test one’s knowledge about E40.
The government’s lack of support has fueled the determination of citizens to protect their environment. This collective voice cannot be ignored, and it is essential for politicians to listen and take action.
“Together we can stop this development.” – says Marek Elas, communication officer at OTOP. – “We can block this idea of building an international waterway. The times when we could block rivers flow with impunity are over. Now is the time for us to appreciate and respect nature.”
“In the short run, we will stop this destructive shipping highway.” – says Laura Sullivan, Executive Director at WeMove Europe. – “And in the long-run, we demand recognition by the EU that Polesia is a European story that is reaching the red alert stage. All similar and potential ecocide cases have the same root cause: the desire for economic growth without asking questions, without respect for nature. The problem with that is that humanity itself will not survive without nature.”
Source: euractiv.com
