In January 2025, after seven years of legal battles, Poland’s General Directorate for Environmental Protection (GDOŚ) definitively revoked the environmental permit for the Siarzewo dam on the Vistula river. For a moment, it seemed like the fight to save the river had been won. Save Polesia’s partner Polish Society for the Protection of Birds (BirdLife … Read more
Polish authorities have canceled the environmental consent for the Siarzewo dam project on the Vistula river meaning the project cannot go ahead. This decision is a big win for environmentalists and local communities, who have worked hard to protect the river’s natural ecosystem. The decision comes after almost seven years of waiting and debate. The … Read more
On 22nd of January, we presented the petition against Siarzewo dam and the E40 waterway at the PETI Committee’s monthly hearing in Brussels. The petition by Wemove, Avaaz and the Save Polesia partnership was signed by more than 143 000 people. What is the issue? The Vistula – the Queen of the Polish rivers – … Read more
A new report that shows the devastating impact of E40 waterway on birds, natural habitats and water-dependent species in Poland was published on 2nd of October 2023. The report was prepared at the request of Save Polesia partner OTOP (BirdLife Poland). Despite being aware of the disastrous consequences of the E40 project, the Polish government … Read more
![Percentage share of containers in transport performance [tkm] of all transported goods for various types of transport. (Bayer et. al. 2021, CCNR report).](https://savepolesia.org/wp-content/uploads/2023/09/How-to-unlock-the-potential-of-rail-freight-transport-between-Poland-and-Ukraine.jpg)
The study published by the European Commission and the European Investment Bank in July 2023 suggests developing a backbone of European 1435 mm wide railways on key railway lines between Poland and Ukraine. This means that ideas about E40 waterway connecting the Baltic and Black seas have become even more redundant. The study is part of … Read more
Polish NGOs have submitted a complaint to the European Commission pointing out that huge, old dams on Polish rivers have never been studied for their impact on people and nature. This violates EU law. What is the issue? NGOs, ClientEarth Lawyers for the Earth, Save Polesia partner OTOP (BirdLife Poland) and Greenmind Foundation, have filed … Read more
On the 1st of May, Polish musician and activist Michał Zygmunt finished his 1,300 km expedition in a traditional wooden boat. The main patron of the boat trip across Poland was OTOP – BirdLife Poland, one of the Save Polesia partners. The cruise is a promotion of rivers, conscious learning and discovering their values and character, says … Read more
An ironic “birthday-party” with a dam-cake was held in Warsaw opposite the Ministry of Climate and Environment on 14th March 2023, the International day of action for rivers. The Polish “Save the Rivers” Coalition gathered people to protest against the construction of Siarzewo dam on the Vistula river. The partygoers demanded immediate consideration of NGO … Read more
Save Polesia Partnership’s stark warning: abandon E40 waterway megaproject or vital wetlands, grasslands, forests, and mires across Poland, Belarus, and Ukraine face catastrophe. A controversial megaproject that aims to connect the Baltic and Black seas via a 2000km-long navigable shipping channel through Poland, Belarus, and Ukraine – known as the E40 inland waterway – would be … Read more
A new economic analysis reveals that the planned E40 waterway would operate at a severe economic loss in the long-term, even under optimistic scenarios. Published on World Wetlands Day, the economic analysis by the Netherlands-based consultancy Langhout Ecologisch Advies lays bare severe implications from the construction of the E40 waterway. The planned megaproject would … Read more