Fence disrupts ecosystem

The March mission of experts from UNESCO and the International Union for Conservation of Nature confirmed what the Belarusian side had been saying for a long time: Poland’s construction of a fence along the state border on the territory of the Belovezhskaya Pushcha causes irreparable damage to a unique natural site — as noted by representatives of the Ministry of Natural Resources and Environmental Protection

The fence on the border with Belarus, passing through the Belovezhskaya Pushcha — a UNESCO World Heritage Site — was built by Poland in 2022, causing natural indignation among scientists, ecologists and other environmental specialists.
Belarus sounded the alarm on all available international platforms, and it was decided last year that UNESCO would send a monitoring mission to the site.
In March, the head of the natural heritage department of the UNESCO World Heritage Centre and an IUCN employee, a specialist in the field of wildlife, visited the transboundary natural site, accompanied (from the Belarusian side) by representatives of the Belovezhskaya Pushcha National Park, the Belarus President Property Management Directorate, the State Border Committee, the State Control Committee, scientists from the National Academy of Sciences and two universities, alongside experts from environmental organisations and representatives of the public.
“Belarus’ concerns about the deterioration of the state of the Belovezhskaya Pushcha ecosystems due to the negative impact of the barrier structure erected by Poland on the Belovezhskaya Pushcha territory have been confirmed,” said First Deputy Minister of Natural Resources Aleksandr Korbut following the results of the mission. “Four aspects of the negative impact have been identified both by the Belarusian side and international experts.”
Firstly, this refers to blocking the migration routes of animals which results in the impoverishment of the gene pool of their population. The passages made in the fence for small animals are too small and have little functionality for large animals. Secondly, the risk of penetration by invasive alien plants and even natural ecosystems has increased. This primarily refers to the Canadian goldenrod. Thirdly, a serious problem is the destruction of ground cover during construction work and the cutting down of the adjacent strip of relict forest and individual trees on the Polish side of the Belovezhskaya Pushcha. Finally, fourthly, there is a violation of the hydrological regime in sections of some rivers which has already led to forest flooding, and the situation will only get worse in the future.
The Ministry of Natural Resources regrets to note the indifference of the Polish side to environmental issues. The Western neighbours did not even respond to the invitation to liaise, at least as part of the current monitoring mission. Meanwhile, as Tatiana Kononchuk, the Head of the Main Department for Environmental Policy, International Co-operation and Science of Belarus’ Ministry of Natural Resources and Environmental Protection, reminded this is not the first visit of UNESCO experts to the Pushcha. For example, in the decision of the UNESCO World Heritage Committee based on the results of the 2018 mission, the Belarusian and Polish sides were recommended to strengthen interaction on the protection of a single site and adopt a joint management plan. Minsk sent invitations to its neighbours, but received only silence in response.
Now Belarus expects that the 46th session of the UNESCO World Heritage Committee — to take place in July in Delhi — will adopt a decision that objectively and reliably reflects the current situation in the Belovezhskaya Pushcha. This should be a document offering specific recommendations to the Polish side to eliminate the causes of the negative impact of the erected fence on the Belovezhskaya Pushcha.

By Aleksandr Nesterov