When people talk about defence, they usually think of tanks, drones or border fortifications. Peatlands are rarely the first thing that comes to mind. Yet their wetness, inaccessibility and limited passability make them a factor of relevance for security policy.
The Baltic states – Estonia, Latvia and Lithuania – are examining, as part of the Baltic Defence Line, how peatlands and other wetlands can be incorporated as natural barriers into border defence.
For Germany, the issue combines climate action, biodiversity, water management and defence planning at the same time: intact peatlands store carbon, retain water and can make movement across terrain more difficult.
Peatlands as a natural border
Anyone moving heavy equipment through boggy ground loses speed and situational awareness. What used to be regarded as an obstacle is now being reassessed strategically.
