Thursday, July 9, 2026

4:00 PM - 5:30 PM

Room BE.0.10

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Details

As Europe reconsiders its security strategies in an era of geopolitical tensions, climate change, and political instability, a new question is emerging: Can restoring wetlands and other ecosystems in the service of the military also serve nature conservation goals? During the war in Ukraine, intentional flooding slowed advancing forces, prompting renewed interest in nature-based defenses. Poland, Finland and Estonia are considering “warwilding” as part of their national security strategies, suggesting that nature and defense might form a new alliance. Proponents see re-flooding and rewilding as win-win solutions that align with the EU Nature Restoration Law, enhance biodiversity, and provide climate resilience while reducing the need for environmentally destructive border infrastructure. This proposed alliance between conservation and defense is not without skeptics however. Critics argue that instrumentalizing nature for military purposes risks greenwashing institutions with massive carbon footprints, displacing local communities, and obscuring conservation’s ethical foundations and priorities. Some biologists caution that flooding or rewetting for strategic “offensive” purposes could harm ecosystems adapting to climate change, while farmers worry about the loss of productive cropland. Moreover, the rise of drone warfare calls into question whether wetlands or forests can realistically deter future conflicts and advancing enemy forces. This moderated panel brings together ecologists and social scientists to debate the emerging topic of “nature for defense.” Can nature-based solutions genuinely enhance security while conserving biodiversity, or does this framing threaten to (further) militarize conservation itself and derail conservation goals? The discussion will explore opportunities, risks, and the broader implications of using ecosystems for national defense.

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Organiser