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, Marek Elas

#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 📷D. Rosengren

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

📉 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

🔗 #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. Read more: savepolesia.org #SavePolesia #Stop_E40

Waterway threatens Europe’s Amazon

Save Polesia, Europe’s largest wilderness, by preventing the construction of the E40 waterway connecting the Black Sea and the Baltic.

savepolesia.org

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! ✊ 🐢23rd of May - #WorldTurtleDay 📷Daniel Rosengren

🌿 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

#Natura2000 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. #stop_E40 📷Little Tern, Siarhei Zuyonak

#DayOfActionForRivers: World revives rivers by removing old dams, adding logs for 🐟shelter, planting living roots on eroding banks, creating tree buffers, & fixing road culverts. #E40Waterway threatens to destroy Polesia instead. 😐 19th-century thinking vs 21st-century solutions.

In Polesia, people have harvested medicinal plants for generations🌱 These wetlands = livelihoods, tradition, sustainable harvests. #E40Waterway would severely degrade this ecosystems. This #WorldWildlifeDay, we're fighting for nature AND people. #WWD2026 #SavePolesia #stop_E40 📷Daniel Rosengren/FZS

Today is #WorldWetlandsDay 🌿 On 2 February 1971, countries agreed the #Ramsar Convention to protect wetlands. In #Polesia & along the Vistula, Bug, Pripyat and Dnieper rivers, many Ramsar & other protected wetlands at risk from #E40Waterway: savepolesia.org/the-threat/ 📷Daniel Rosengren / FZS

The Threat - Save Polesia

In 2013, a partnership was set up to advance plans by the governments of Poland, Belarus and Ukraine to construct a shipping channel – the so called ‘E40 waterway’ – linking the Black Sea and the…

savepolesia.org

🌊 Today's #DamRemovalDay reminds us why free-flowing rivers matter! While Dam Removal Europe celebrates barrier removal across Europe, Polesia faces the opposite threat - E40's new dams would destroy Europe's Amazon. Join their streaming now!

Dam Removal Europe

Visit our official website at www.damremoval.eu and follow us on Instagram @damremovaleurope

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7 years of appeals & waiting The fight over the ecologically risky Siarzewo barrage (part of #E40waterway) continues. Yesterday's hearing ended without a ruling; a new date is pending. The Vistula is safe for now as appeal continues. We await the next chapter. #stop_E40 📷Małgorzata Kaznowska-Filipek

🌍 The #NatureRestorationLaw’s emphasis on restoring free-flowing rivers is at odds with plans for the Siarzewo dam and the #E40Waterway. Poland should prioritize undoing the damage from the Włocławek dam, not adding more barriers. #Stop_E40 📷The Vistula River, Marek Elas

140K+ said no — but the fight isn’t over. Despite public opposition, Polish Waters refuses to back down. The Siarzewo dam appeal could greenlight irreversible harm to the Vistula’s salmon, terns & floodplains. ‼️Read our new post: savepolesia.org/siarzewo-bat... #stop_E40

Siarzewo dam: the battle isn’t over - Save Polesia

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…

savepolesia.org

🌊 The #E40Waterway with its Włocławek and proposed Siarzewo dams threatens to fragment the Vistula river further. The #NatureRestorationLaw offers a chance to protect and restore these waters instead of compounding the damage. #Stop_E40 #FreeFlowingRivers 📷Vistula, Marek Elas

🌊 The #NatureRestorationLaw’s goal of restoring 25,000 km of rivers to a free-flowing state by 2030 is at odds with projects like the Siarzewo dam in 🇵🇱. Let’s focus on restoration, not more barriers that harm rivers and ecosystems. #Stop_E40 #FreeFlowingRivers 📷Marek Elas

One year ago, the EU adopted the #NatureRestorationLaw—a historic chance to heal rivers. Yet Poland’s Siarzewo dam, part of the #E40Waterway, push the opposite direction. Restoring nature starts with stopping new barriers. #Stop_E40 #FreeFlowingRivers 📷Vistula. Marek Elas

#Polesia, Europe’s Amazon, hosts over 1.5 million migratory 🐤 & endangered species like European bison, wolves, and lynx. The E40 waterway threatens to destroy 193 international and 139 national protected areas😱. Protect biodiversity — #stop_E40! #SavePolesia #BiodiversityDay 📷Daniel Rosengren/FZS

#Climate change is accelerating, and Polesia’s intact #wetlands are part of the solution. Destroying them for a shipping canal would risk releasing stored carbon and contaminating water for millions. Let’s protect what protects us! #savePolesia #Stop_E40 #ClimateAction

#Polesia is home to millions of migratory birds 🐤 and unique ecosystems. The proposed 2000-km long E40 canal would devastate these habitats and local communities. Stand with us to defend nature! #SavePolesia #stop_E40 #migratorybirdday youtu.be/CEPC5lTBwCk @wildpolesia.bsky.social

New study shows E40 waterway threat to protected areas and biodiversity | #SavePolesia

YouTube video by Frankfurt Zoological Society

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💧 The #E40waterway would dry out rivers, worsen #climate change effects, and threaten clean water supplies for millions. We advocate for sustainable alternatives like #rail transport and nature-based tourism. Follow us for updates! #SavePolesia #stop_E40 📷Daniel Rosengren/FZS

🚨 The #E40waterway threatens to destroy Polesia’s pristine rivers and #wetlands, risking biodiversity loss, droughts, and potential radioactive contamination from Chernobyl. Follow us to learn how you can help protect Europe’s Amazon! #Stop_E40 #SavePolesia 📷Daniel Rosengren/FZS

🌿 Welcome to #SavePolesia! We’re protecting Europe’s largest wetland wilderness — a vital habitat for rare species like Greater spotted eagle, Aquatic warbler (the photo), & Lynx. Join us to stop the destructive #E40Waterway project and save this natural treasure! #stop_E40 📷Daniel Rosengren/FZS