EU environment chief urges rewilding borders to deter invasions

Jessika Roswall, the EU commissioner for the environment, water resilience and a competitive circular economy, urged countries to rewild land borders and build other geographical defences to deter invasion. "Investing in nature and using nature as a natural border control is necessary, and actually increases biodiversity.

It’s a win-win," she said. Poland and Finland, which both share land borders with Russia or Russian allies, have rewilded areas near their frontiers, transferring the land to more hostile nature and leaving bushes and trees so "it’s not so easy for others to cross it." Restoring wetlands also provides a natural barrier: "It’s very difficult for big tanks to go through." Roswall said countries should treat nature as a defence asset and consider the national security implications of environmental failures, noting that a thriving natural environment underpins food supply and water security.

"We need to invest in nature. Water is the most obvious example. If we don’t have water, we don’t have [security].

Poland, Finland, Russia

jessika roswall, eu commissioner, rewilding, natural borders, border defences, poland, finland, russia, wetlands, biodiversity