Use of nature as a military barrier

[Paul Nuttall]

This has popped up on a few locations recently,

https://www.france24.com/en/europe/2025 ... g-wetlands

Finland and Poland are both considering rewetting dried-out peatbogs to form defence barriers against a potential Russian ground invasion. Restoring these natural carbon sinks could also bring significant environmental benefits.

Since Russian tanks rolled into Ukraine in 2022, European countries that share borders with Russia have ramped up security on their eastern borders.

Finland recently completed the first stretch of a wall along its 1,340-kilometre frontier with Russia and has been closely monitoring an increase in Russian troop movements on the other side.

This summer, Poland added protective minefields to a 20-kilometre stretch bordering both Russia and Belarus, as part of its sprawling “East Shield” development programme for defence infrastructure.

Now, the NATO-members are looking to the natural world to further fortify their defences – by revitalising peat bogs.

Wetlands that accumulate peat are made up of spongy, waterlogged ground that is impenetrable for tanks. They are typically found in cooler northern climates and are dotted throughout the northern and eastern European nations that share land borders with Russia and Belarus.
‘Nature is an ally’

There are increasing calls in Europe to accelerate peatland restoration plans on both ecological and defence grounds.

Finland’s defence and environment ministries will in autumn begin talks on launching a peatland repair pilot project, a member of the working group said in an article published by Politico this week.

In Poland, the defence ministry is keen to restore wetlands along the eastern border and talks are under way between scientists and the defence and environment ministries.

“Nature is an ally, and we want to use it,” Cezary Tomczyk, a state secretary at Poland’s defence ministry, told Politico.

A German peatland thinktank, The Greifswald Mire Centre, in June called for the EU to establish a fund worth up to €500 million to finance planning and rewetting 100,000 hectares of land.

“Naturally wet and equally rewetted peatlands are impassable for tanks, slowing down troop movements and forcing predictable corridors that are easier to defend,” the organisation said in a statement.

“Peatlands offer additional protection for critical infrastructure by making troop movements near transport routes, energy facilities and strategic supply points more difficult.”





I do recall a suggestion in the 80's that the IGB be extensively forrested as an initial barrier.

[Micael]

It is a natural development, but may come with some consequences perhaps not given enough consideration. In Sweden the drying out of wetlands (in combination with better living conditions and access to medical treatment) led to the local eradication of malaria in the 1930’s. Once again expanding the breeding ground opportunities for mosquitos in the region, well…

[Johnnie Lyle]

It is a natural development, but may come with some consequences perhaps not given enough consideration. In Sweden the drying out of wetlands (in combination with better living conditions and access to medical treatment) led to the local eradication of malaria in the 1930’s. Once again expanding the breeding ground opportunities for mosquitos in the region, well…

That’s readily solvable if you prepare for it.

CA has a very effective vector control system because so much of the state is readily inhabitable (and inhabited by) mosquitoes. So you get pretty aggressive control measures such as surveillance for man-made stagnant water, extensive deployment of things like mosquitofish to eat mosquitoes and larvae, and lots of chemical and biological elements targeted on mosquitoes (BTI is one of the best examples, it’s a bacteria that is only toxic to mosquitoes and black flies, so very safe to use). We have successfully kept CA free of local malaria transmission, so it’s doable.

Of course, you may not want to deplete your mosquito battalions on the border with Russia, but

[Micael]

It is a natural development, but may come with some consequences perhaps not given enough consideration. In Sweden the drying out of wetlands (in combination with better living conditions and access to medical treatment) led to the local eradication of malaria in the 1930’s. Once again expanding the breeding ground opportunities for mosquitos in the region, well…

That’s readily solvable if you prepare for it.

CA has a very effective vector control system because so much of the state is readily inhabitable (and inhabited by) mosquitoes. So you get pretty aggressive control measures such as surveillance for man-made stagnant water, extensive deployment of things like mosquitofish to eat mosquitoes and larvae, and lots of chemical and biological elements targeted on mosquitoes (BTI is one of the best examples, it’s a bacteria that is only toxic to mosquitoes and black flies, so very safe to use). We have successfully kept CA free of local malaria transmission, so it’s doable.

Of course, you may not want to deplete your mosquito battalions on the border with Russia, but

Yeah, I’m just not entirely sure that someone is actually preparing for it.

[Johnnie Lyle]

It is a natural development, but may come with some consequences perhaps not given enough consideration. In Sweden the drying out of wetlands (in combination with better living conditions and access to medical treatment) led to the local eradication of malaria in the 1930’s. Once again expanding the breeding ground opportunities for mosquitos in the region, well…

That’s readily solvable if you prepare for it.

CA has a very effective vector control system because so much of the state is readily inhabitable (and inhabited by) mosquitoes. So you get pretty aggressive control measures such as surveillance for man-made stagnant water, extensive deployment of things like mosquitofish to eat mosquitoes and larvae, and lots of chemical and biological elements targeted on mosquitoes (BTI is one of the best examples, it’s a bacteria that is only toxic to mosquitoes and black flies, so very safe to use). We have successfully kept CA free of local malaria transmission, so it’s doable.

Of course, you may not want to deplete your mosquito battalions on the border with Russia, but

Yeah, I’m just not entirely sure that someone is actually preparing for it.

Remember your Rules of Acquisition.

[MikeKozlowski]

It is a natural development, but may come with some consequences perhaps not given enough consideration. In Sweden the drying out of wetlands (in combination with better living conditions and access to medical treatment) led to the local eradication of malaria in the 1930’s. Once again expanding the breeding ground opportunities for mosquitos in the region, well…

Micael,

I would not have associated malaria with Sweden! Was it a serious health issue there?

Mike

[Nightwatch2]

It is a natural development, but may come with some consequences perhaps not given enough consideration. In Sweden the drying out of wetlands (in combination with better living conditions and access to medical treatment) led to the local eradication of malaria in the 1930’s. Once again expanding the breeding ground opportunities for mosquitos in the region, well…

Micael,

I would not have associated malaria with Sweden! Was it a serious health issue there?

Mike

Sounds like a great opportunity to get the enviros to support wetlands expansion…..

[Micael]

It is a natural development, but may come with some consequences perhaps not given enough consideration. In Sweden the drying out of wetlands (in combination with better living conditions and access to medical treatment) led to the local eradication of malaria in the 1930’s. Once again expanding the breeding ground opportunities for mosquitos in the region, well…

Micael,

I would not have associated malaria with Sweden! Was it a serious health issue there?

Mike

”No illness is more familiar and common in this country than the shivers (malaria.)” Johan Linders, 1717.

It used to be a very significant issue back in the day. There’s four breeds of mosquitos native to Sweden that can spread the malaria parasite and we have a lot of water everywhere in the form of rivers and lakes, and that also meant a lot of wetlands before they were reduced in scope through concerted efforts.

This map shows epidemic malaria outbreaks 1852-1861:

IMG_8319.jpeg

This table shows the deaths per year in malaria for the years 1749-1820 and 1861-1870 (includes cases in Finland up until 1800.):

IMG_8320.png

The last native case, not contracted abroad, was reported in 1933.

[Micael]

It is a natural development, but may come with some consequences perhaps not given enough consideration. In Sweden the drying out of wetlands (in combination with better living conditions and access to medical treatment) led to the local eradication of malaria in the 1930’s. Once again expanding the breeding ground opportunities for mosquitos in the region, well…

Micael,

I would not have associated malaria with Sweden! Was it a serious health issue there?

Mike

Sounds like a great opportunity to get the enviros to support wetlands expansion…..

There’s a very annoying activist group that is trying to achieve that already, mostly by blocking traffic through sit down protests.

[Nightwatch2]

Micael,

I would not have associated malaria with Sweden! Was it a serious health issue there?

Mike

Sounds like a great opportunity to get the enviros to support wetlands expansion…..

There’s a very annoying activist group that is trying to achieve that already, mostly by blocking traffic through sit down protests.

It’s scary when one’s sarcasm is confirmed by real life.

[Johnnie Lyle]

Sounds like a great opportunity to get the enviros to support wetlands expansion…..

There’s a very annoying activist group that is trying to achieve that already, mostly by blocking traffic through sit down protests.

It’s scary when one’s sarcasm is confirmed by real life.

These are Heinlein’s crazy years. We’re just stuck living in them.

[jemhouston]

Sounds like a great opportunity to get the enviros to support wetlands expansion…..

There’s a very annoying activist group that is trying to achieve that already, mostly by blocking traffic through sit down protests.

It’s scary when one’s sarcasm is confirmed by real life.

What happens if it's not sarcasm, but prophecy?

[Johnnie Lyle]

There’s a very annoying activist group that is trying to achieve that already, mostly by blocking traffic through sit down protests.

It’s scary when one’s sarcasm is confirmed by real life.

What happens if it's not sarcasm, but prophecy?

File it under “do not give them ideas.”

[Nik_SpeakerToCats]

Um, didn't the USSR fit extra-extra wide tracks to some T-34 tanks to better cross snow and soft ground ?

IIRC, some Panzers got a similar treatment but too little, too late, yet again, yet again...
( Not just 'transport' vs 'combat' width, but wider... )

FWIW, kinfolk near Oban in W. Scotland report their local 'Raised Bog', a Site of Special Scientific Interest that looks like a mowed lawn, regularly fly-traps unwary SUVs that ignore warnings and take a short-cut...

Local rescue services have become adept at unreeling, deploying a remarkable length of tow line to extricate victims to 'terra firma'.
Remediation of ghastly damage to site ?
Half-life of gouge is but a couple of days, less if 'significant' rain...
And there the 'Raised Bog' waits, fully restored, ready to embrace next victim.
'D&D' trap list would welcome such self-resetting monsters...

[Bouncy70]

Um, didn't the USSR fit extra-extra wide tracks to some T-34 tanks to better cross snow and soft ground ?

IIRC, some Panzers got a similar treatment but too little, too late, yet again, yet again...
( Not just 'transport' vs 'combat' width, but wider... )

The T-34 had extra-extra wide, 60 cm, tracks from the get go, compared to everything else. And the Christie-type suspension of course. No more was needed, the thing had excellent mobility in terrain right out of the box.

The Germans had narrow tracks (about 40 cm) on their Pz III and IV series, which after encountering reality in Russia they band-aided with "Winterketten" and "Ostketten" which had built-in extensions on the outboard side. There was only so much they could do due to issues with uneven loading of the tanks' suspension when using these extended-width tracks. The smaller roadwheels and especially for the Pz IV a rather agricultural suspension system did them no favours either when it came to mobility.

The Tiger II had similar problems with its combat track, while it was very good for width it was not supported by road-wheels on the outboard side which did bad things to the suspension arms over time, the same went for the Tiger I when they switched to steel-rimmed wheels and did away with the outermost set of road wheels (this final wheel-layer was added originally to reduce the wear on the rubber tires to a slightly less heartbreaking level).