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Photo by Jacek Kadaj on Unsplash New polling suggests the Polish public support eastern marsh restoration as a security measure and for its environmental benefits, with two thirds of the public supporting restoration and consistent support across the political spectrum.
Poland’s eastern border is the home to wetlands which were drained to create new agricultural lands.
New interest in the restoration of Poland’s eastern marshes emerged following Russia’s war of aggression in Ukraine. During the opening days of the conflict, Russian armor suffered significant losses from getting stuck in Ukraine’s springtime mud season.
As a result of Russia’s losses, conversations emerged around marsh and bog restoration across Europe, from Estonia and Finland to Poland. As Polish Colonel Marek Pietrzak, put it:
“Despite the evolution of weapons, ammunition, and military vehicles over the centuries, the natural environment remains a crucial factor in combat. Bodies of water, wetlands, and old-growth forests continue to serve as effective natural barriers. Afforestation and the creation of wetlands provide tangible support for our defensive operations.”
Political interest in the idea is relatively straightforward – the left is interested in protecting the environment, while the right wants to improve national security.
Data from Poland support these suppositions about the political motivations for wetland restoration.
Overall, two thirds (67%) of Poles support restoring marshes along the eastern border. Only 10% oppose the idea (6% oppose, 4% strongly oppose), with the remaining 23% unsure.
Majorities back the proposal across every voting group surveyed: 66% of PiS voters, 72% of KO voters, and 69% of Lewica voters support restoration of the marshes on Poland’s eastern border.
Marsh restoration supporters were asked about why they supported it. The win-win across security and the environment was selected most frequently, with 45% of supporters citing both reasons for their support. Security was named next most often, with 39% citing this as key to their support. In total, one in seven (15%) cite the environment alone.
Reasons for support differ across voting groups. PiS voters who support the idea report security alone most frequently (59%), while KO and Lewica supporters point to the combined benefits across both issues most frequently.
The polling clearly shows that a vast majority in Poland support restoring the eastern border wetlands – across the Polish political spectrum. Supporters mostly back the idea because they see it as a win for both national security and the environment.
Methodology note
This polling was carried out as part of an online survey on energy security undertaken by Norstat between 12th – 23th December 2025. The findings presented here are based on a nationally representative sample of 1022 Polish adults, giving theoretical margins of error of 3.1% for the overall sample.