Victory for Poland’s Vistula river: Siarzewo dam project canceled

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 Siarzewo dam was intended to be a key component of the E40 waterway, a massive infrastructure project aimed at creating a navigable connection from the Baltic Sea to the Black Sea, with 13-15 dams in total. However, environmental organizations, including Save Polesia partner OTOP (BirdLife Poland), have long contended that the Siarzewo dam would inflict irreversible damage on critical habitats and endangered species.

E40 waterway threatens survival of key species in Poland

Our 2022 report highlighted that the E40 waterway could adversely affect at least 30 protected bird species in Poland, with five species, including Little Tern, potentially losing half of their national populations. The report also indicated that the project would impact 66 Natura 2000 sites (internationally protected areas) in the country, leading to the degradation of vital ecosystems such as rivers, peat bogs, wet meadows, and oxbow lakes.

Public opposition to the dam has been robust. In March 2023, the Save the Rivers Coalition organized a protest in Warsaw, where activists staged an ironic “birthday party” opposite the offices of the Ministry of Climate and Environment to demand the suspension of the project. They criticized the escalating costs, which had surged from an initial estimate of PLN 2 billion (EUR 470 million) to PLN 7.6 billion (EUR 1.8 billion) and called for a halt to all preparatory work pending the final environmental decision.

Over 140,000 signatures were collected from citizens opposing the dam, demonstrating widespread support for preserving the Vistula – the Queen of Polish rivers. Environmental groups, local communities, and international organizations are celebrating the decision.

We are delighted that the Polish authorities have recognised the devastating environmental damage Siarzewo dam would have caused and decided it should not go ahead’ said Save Polesia Campaign Coordinator Helen Byron. ‘The E40 waterway is a deeply flawed project that should now be entirely abandoned.’

The cancellation of the Siarzewo dam project is a victory for environmental conservation in Poland. OTOP expressed relief, stating that the decision ensures the protection of the Vistula river’s unique biodiversity and supports the resurgence of migratory fish species, such as salmon, trout, and sturgeon, whose populations had been previously decimated by existing barriers like the Włocławek dam.

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*Top image: the Vistula river. Photo credit: Robert Chwiałkowski