Białowieża Forest
Reconnecting rivers, restoring catchments and revitalising the natural dynamics of Białowieża Forest.
Białowieża Forest, a UNESCO World Heritage Site spanning Poland and Belarus, is one of Europe’s last remaining primeval lowland forests. Its wetlands, peatlands and alder forests are vital to the forest’s biodiversity and resilience.
Over the past two centuries, drainage and river straightening have disrupted natural water systems, reducing water retention and lowering groundwater levels across the forest.
The Białowieża project is restoring natural hydrology in the Lutownia and Narewka catchments by reconnecting river floodplains and rehabilitating degraded wetlands. These actions will strengthen climate resilience, enhance biodiversity, and improve water retention and carbon storage.
Białowieża Forest World Heritage Site, Polish component
Frankfurt Zoological Society
Ongoing since 2026
$4.6 million
141,885 ha
East European oak, hornbeam and lime forests (Tilio-Carpinetum), ash-alder alluvial forests along rivers and streams with organic soils, and peat bogs, transitional mires and fens supporting sub-boreal spruce, birch bog and pine bog forests
European bison, European otter, moose, wolf, lynx, lesser spotted eagle, white-backed woodpecker, three-toed woodpecker, saproxylic beetles
Provisioning: food, berries, mushrooms, herbs, water; regulating: water provision and regulation, carbon sequestration, air quality, genetic / species diversity; cultural: ecotourism, tourism, education, art, research
Why this place matters
This wilderness shelters extraordinary biodiversity and is home to the largest population of European bison on the continent – once extinct in the wild and first reintroduced here.
The Białowieża Forest, spanning 1,500 km² across Poland and Belarus, is one of Europe’s most important old-growth forest landscapes and a globally significant biodiversity hotspot. Its wetlands, rivers and peatlands support a rich diversity of species, including moose, European otter and lesser spotted eagle, while providing vital ecosystem services such as water retention and carbon storage.
Over the past two centuries, extensive drainage and river straightening have altered the forest’s natural hydrology, lowering groundwater levels by up to 1.5 metres and degrading wetland habitats. Climate change is intensifying these pressures through rising temperatures and increasingly frequent water deficits.
Despite these challenges, Białowieża retains exceptional ecological value and presents a unique opportunity for large-scale restoration. Building on recent conservation measures, the project will restore natural water dynamics across key catchments, reducing drainage impacts, improving mire function and strengthening the forest’s resilience to climate change. Together with earlier restoration efforts in Belarus, it will help create a model for large-scale ecosystem recovery in Europe’s remaining primeval forests.
Action on the ground
The project aims to restore rivers, streams and wetlands in the Polish part of the Białowieża Forest that were altered by past drainage and river engineering, while creating a restoration model that can be applied by land managers elsewhere. Planned actions include:
Knowledge exchange and training opportunities will be provided for land managers to support the uptake of restoration best practice.
Practical training will be delivered for students and restoration practitioners.
Citizen science, exhibitions, interpretation boards and educational trails will engage local communities and raise awareness of wetland restoration.
Open meetings and guided visits to restoration sites will encourage dialogue and stakeholder involvement.
of priority catchments will be restored, with additional restoration measures implemented across a further 8,500 hectares in the Lutownia Basin and the mires of the Narewka floodplain.
of river floodplains will be restored to support more natural water flows and ecological processes.
indicators, including beaver and amphibian presence, greenhouse gas emissions, and vegetation change, will be monitored to assess project outcomes and inform adaptive management.
Visit the Białowieża Forest website
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