Poland’s border policies imperil river ecosystems | Science
In response to an influx of migrants crossing from Belarus into Poland, the Polish government plans to install 1800 poles and 4500 cameras to enforce its borders (1). To implement the plan, Poland has cut down hundreds of thousands of trees along 170 km of the Bug River, the last large unregulated river in Eastern Europe (2, 3), along Poland’s border with Belarus. To compensate for the ecosystem and biodiversity destruction, Polish authorities should restore the oxbow lakes within Polish borders and continuously monitor riverbank erosion. In the future, if there is a need to improve the riverbanks, Poland should strengthen them sustainably by using only wooden materials.
In response to an influx of migrants crossing from Belarus into Poland, the Polish government plans to install 1800 poles and 4500 cameras to enforce its borders (1). To implement the plan, Poland has cut down hundreds of thousands of trees along 170 km of the Bug River, the last large unregulated river in Eastern Europe (2, 3), along Poland’s border with Belarus. To compensate for the ecosystem and biodiversity destruction, Polish authorities should restore the oxbow lakes within Polish borders and continuously monitor riverbank erosion. In the future, if there is a need to improve the riverbanks, Poland should strengthen them sustainably by using only wooden materials.
