Finland to use wetland restoration for border defense

Finland is planning to utilize wetland restoration as a dual-purpose strategy for environmental protection and national security. A joint working group from the Finnish Ministry of the Environment and the Ministry of Defence has proposed using approximately 180,000 hectares of land in the eastern and northern parts of the country to create natural obstacles.

The initiative focuses on rewetting previously drained peatlands and restoring former peat extraction sites. These areas are intended to act as natural terrain barriers that can restrict movement and direct traffic toward more controllable routes, thereby supplementing traditional military infrastructure and fortifications without creating a continuous “green wall” along the Russian border.