Covering around 18 million hectares, Polesia is Europe’s largest wetland wilderness and home to millions of people. The relationship between its nature and inhabitants is deeply intertwined: wetlands sustain livelihoods, health and well-being, while local communities play a central role in protecting the ecosystems that support them.
Today, through the Polesia project, supported by the Endangered Landscapes & Seascapes Programme, restoration work in the Ukrainian part of Polesia is helping to protect wetlands, improve water management and strengthen the ecological resilience of this landscape for both people and wildlife.
Wetlands regulate water flow, store and purify freshwater, support biodiversity and help to mitigate climate change. Yet these vital ecosystems are disappearing faster than ever. Around 85% of the world’s wetlands have already been lost, and degradation has accelerated in recent decades due to intensive land use and a changing climate.
Across much of Europe, the vast belt of lowland bogs that once stretched from France to western Siberia has been largely drained. In Polesia, however, a rare remnant of this ancient wetland system endures. Life in the marshes has never been easy: limited farmland, isolation and poor infrastructure once drove people to drain peatlands for agriculture. Between the 1960s and 1980s alone, around 3 million hectares of wetlands were reclaimed in Polesia. Initially, the new farmland was fertile and productive, but the benefits were short-lived. Over time, drained areas became less productive, degraded and often abandoned.
From improvement to destruction and back
The drainage of peatlands in Polesia has gradually led to desertification. In addition to depleted peatlands, the region contains extensive areas of peat soils, where the peat degrades rapidly when groundwater levels are low. On 223,000 hectares of agricultural land, the soil has been completely destroyed, and almost the same area has been degraded by peat extraction. The process of peat layer destruction continues. If these human-driven changes are not addressed, they will soon result in very low yields and a sharp decline in biodiversity.
Draining wetlands also negatively affects surrounding ecosystems. Wetlands lose their role as stabilisers of hydrological conditions across entire catchment areas, small rivers and watercourses dry up, and entire ecosystems deteriorate. Recent research shows that a 50–70 cm drop in groundwater levels leads to significant biodiversity loss and increases the eutrophication of rivers and lakes. Every year, about 1.5 million tonnes of mineral substances and 700,000 tonnes of water-soluble organic compounds flow from drained areas of Polesia into the Black Sea via the Pripyat and Dnieper rivers.
Comparing Polesia’s disturbed wetlands with intact ones clearly shows that protecting and restoring these ecosystems is an investment in the well-being of local communities. Despite extensive drainage, Polesia still retains large areas of undisturbed and highly functional wetlands. These intact peatlands store vast amounts of carbon accumulated over thousands of years and continue to sequester small amounts each year. By keeping them wet, they also prevent the release of large quantities of greenhouse gases, making the region globally significant for climate regulation.
At the same time, intensive land reclamation for peat extraction and agriculture has created many areas that no longer provide economic benefits while emitting between 5 and 15 tonnes of carbon dioxide per hectare each year. Ecologists estimate that rewetting 200,000 hectares of degraded peatlands not used for agriculture or peat extraction could reduce greenhouse gas emissions by around 1.5 million tonnes of carbon dioxide annually. Rewetting is among the most cost-effective ways to reduce emissions, and restoring wetlands in Polesia can help mitigate climate change while improving ecosystem health.
Water vs. fire
The drained and degraded agricultural land, which continues to expand, has become a source of another serious problem – wildfires. Groundwater levels were initially lowered artificially, but the situation has been worsened by mild, snow-free winters and prolonged periods of warm, dry weather, which have become more frequent in recent years. Fighting wildfires consumes significant resources each year. Peatland fires are especially dangerous and difficult to detect or extinguish. Large fires burden the economy, threaten ecosystems, and endanger human life and health.
Particles released into the air by wildfires are a major air pollutant. These fires caused Kyiv to rank among the most polluted cities in the world in 2020 and 2021. Of particular concern are large fires in the Chornobyl Exclusion Zone, a highly contaminated area. Drained several decades ago, this territory burns frequently, releasing not only greenhouse gases but also radioactive substances that spread with the wind and pose a serious health threat.
Experts agree that the best solution to Polesia’s devastating wildfires is clear: water cannot burn. Restoring natural or near-natural hydrological regimes by rewetting drained areas is essential. A study carried out as part of the project has shown that preserving and restoring intact, well-hydrated peatlands can create natural barriers to large, destructive fires.
Natural hydrological regimes also enable wetlands to perform one of their most important functions – storing and purifying freshwater. The significance of Polesia’s water resources is immense. Feeding major rivers such as the Pripyat and the Dnieper, Polesia’s wetlands provide drinking water for around two-thirds of Ukraine’s population. If groundwater levels in the marshes continue to fall, the consequences could be catastrophic for millions of people.
Local rural communities are already experiencing the effects of widespread wetland drainage. Water levels in wells are dropping, and shortages for daily needs are becoming evident. Regional and local authorities often try to address this problem by constructing artificial reservoirs, but these projects are extremely costly to build and maintain. Experts estimate that the cost of constructing a single small reservoir would be enough to rewet all of Polesia’s disturbed wetlands and provide a natural, sustainable water supply for the region’s inhabitants.
Natural resources: to take without destroying
Wetlands provide people with valuable resources that, if managed sustainably, can help to improve local well-being and create new livelihoods and jobs. As noted above, draining wetlands for agricultural use brings only short-term benefits. Within a few years, as yields decline or peat deposits are exhausted, the land often becomes wasteland. Today, there is growing recognition that Polesia’s wetlands can be used sustainably without draining them, or after their natural water regimes have been restored.
Reeds grow abundantly in both undisturbed and restored wetlands. This plant can be used as a raw material for environmentally friendly and efficient fuel, which could be supplied to small local businesses or power stations. Such an enterprise would be profitable if it served customers within a radius of around 30 kilometres.
Cranberries are another valuable natural resource of the Polesia bogs. In the Almany Mires Nature Reserve alone, their annual yield is estimated at 6,700 tonnes, of which up to 2,500 tonnes are harvested. Each season, berry pickers collectively earn more than one million dollars from cranberries gathered in the Almany Mires.
Wetlands also stand out for their high biodiversity, with medicinal plants particularly abundant. Many parts of Polesia, far from cities, transport routes and industrial sites, remain ecologically suitable for harvesting such valuable resources. According to recent estimates, only around 1% of the potential for collecting wild medicinal plants in Pripyat Polesia is currently being used.
Nature tourism in Polesia
Polesia’s wetlands, with their unique flora and fauna, are an exceptional destination for nature-based tourism and are often high on the list for both domestic and international wildlife enthusiasts. Countless bird species, including rare ones such as the great snipe, short-eared owl, black stork and common crane, as well as globally threatened species like the aquatic warbler and greater spotted eagle, nest in the region’s wetlands. The river floodplains provide vital resting places for millions of migratory birds each spring and autumn, making Polesia an important birdwatching destination in Europe throughout the year.
Numerous free-flowing rivers and their scenic surroundings are also highly attractive to ecotourism visitors, especially during seasonal floods when the landscape is at its most dramatic.
Unfortunately, the ongoing war in Ukraine and the difficult political situation in Belarus currently prevent the full development of Polesia’s tourism potential. Nevertheless, this remarkable region remains a place of extraordinary natural value and future opportunity.
Culture shaped by wetlands
Over the centuries, Polesia’s wetlands have played a crucial role in shaping local culture – influencing everything from mythology and rituals to crafts and cuisine. Living in a distinctive landscape that for centuries limited contact with the wider world, the people of Polesia have preserved many elements of traditional culture now recognised on national and international lists of cultural heritage. Even today, the region retains rich folklore, unique local singing traditions, and a distinctive dialect that some linguists consider a separate language.
Traditions such as wild forest beekeeping, crafting boats from single tree trunks, managing water transport, collecting and using wild medicinal herbs, and preparing dishes from berries, mushrooms and river fish have been passed down through generations in close connection with the landscape. These traditions quickly disappear outside it. The identity of Polesian culture and daily life was shaped largely by the wetlands, and their loss would cause lasting harm to cultural diversity.
Wetlands have shaped the lives of local people for centuries and continue to do so today, even if this is not always immediately apparent. The consequences of losing these valuable ecosystems are now clearly visible. In the past, people had to adapt to the forces of nature; today, we possess the means and technology to control them. Yet we must use these tools wisely and live in balance with the natural world, recognising that people and nature remain deeply interconnected.
This article was originally posted on the Polesia Wilderness Without Borders website. If you want to find out more, visit the Polesia project page.
