WWF Central and Eastern Europe

Agree? 🐟 You either love them, or you just haven’t discovered them yet. THE STURGEONS. Watch the video to see what WWF-CEE has achieved together with dedicated partners to protect this dinosaur-old species. Explore the full WWF-CEE Annual Report here: wwfcee.org/news/wwf-cee-a… The sturgeon releases were made possible thanks to the LIFE-Boat 4 Sturgeon project: lb4sturgeon.eu #LIFEBoat4Sturgeon #sturgeon #conservation #LIFEprogramme #LIFEproject

🍂 Why do so many of us feel uneasy in modern life? What happens when our daily routines drift away from what we are biologically and socially “designed” for? In WWF Hungary’s podcast, ethologist Vilmos Csányi reflects on how evolution shaped us as deeply social beings with an innate attraction to animals and the natural world. 🌿He explores how culture and education can either nurture or suppress this connection, and how living within artificial rhythms and environments can create tension and a sense that something is out of balance. The conversation invites us to rethink our place in the living world and consider how reconnecting with nature and with each other might shape a more meaningful future. 🔍 Read more and explore the conversation: wwfcee.org/news/humans-as…

🌡️ Why is no one speaking openly about the climate crisis threatening the Winter Olympics? asks Mariagrazia Midulla, WWF Italy’s Climate and Energy Head. ❄️ The 2026 Winter Olympics are taking place in a landscape already transformed by the climate crisis. Concerns about the future of winter sports have been growing for years. Yet instead of using the Olympics to highlight what is at stake, organisers invested in more artificial snowmaking and continued to treat climate impacts as an inconvenient backdrop, not the central story they clearly are. Political and economic leaders continue to avert their eyes, choosing to sidestep the science and ignore what is unfolding in real time across the Alps. ⚠️ Unless we rapidly cut fossil fuel emissions and rethink how major events are planned, the future of the Winter Olympics, and winter itself, becomes increasingly fragile. We are entering an era where the world’s most iconic winter sports festival may be less about snow and more about the struggle to hold onto a climate that is slipping away. The story of the 2026 Games is not just about sport. It is a warning, one we ignore at our peril. Read the full article here wwfcee.org/news/olympics-…

As part of our #BringBackWater - #BringBackLife series, today we share another inspiring story from #Romania that shows how wetland restoration benefits both people and nature. 🦆 Along the Danube River, the Gârla Mare wetland had been gradually drying out. Years of fish farming modifications disconnected it from the river, transforming a once vibrant wetland into a degraded reed bed and increasing its vulnerability. Despite challenges such as changing landowner positions, design setbacks, inconsistencies in the cadastral system, and the global pandemic, WWF Romania remained committed. Through continuous work, water flow was restored, flood protection reinforced, and new areas dredged to create more diverse habitats. The impact is clear: 🌱 400 hectares of marshland restored 💧 flood storage capacity increased to 5.2 million m³ 🏠 downstream communities now better protected 🦦 wildlife has returned, including the Eurasian otter and the fire-bellied toad Implemented under the #LivingDanubePartnership, the restoration of Gârla Mare demonstrates how bringing back water also brings back life, strengthening ecosystems while supporting local communities. Learn more about partnership actions across the region here: buff.ly/415hr8o

🌾Happy #WorldWetlandsDay! Today we celebrate one of nature’s quiet heroes. Wetlands. Places that protect us from droughts and floods, purify our water, and give space for life to thrive. 🌱For years, many of these landscapes were cut off, drained, and forgotten. But when we restore them, something remarkable happens. Nature responds. 🔍Below, you see Liberty Island on the Danube River in Hungary after a restoration project by #WWF and partners. A once disconnected side arm now flows again. Floodplain forests are recovering. Birds, fish, and insects are returning. 💧And the benefits go far beyond nature. The project helps secure drinking water for the people of Pécs and Mohács, and creates new opportunities for eco-friendly tourism and recreation. This is the power of giving nature a second chance. #BringBackWater #BringBackLife

Great news to start the week🌿Our colleague Cristian-Remus Papp, Wildlife and Landscapes National Manager at WWF-Romania, has received the 2025 Award for Most Impactful Author from the scientific journal Nature Conservation. A well-deserved recognition of his 2022 publication on maintaining ecological connectivity in the Carpathian ecoregion while developing sustainable transport infrastructures, but also of the broader efforts taking place across the region. The article emphasizes how thoughtful planning, cross-sector stakeholder collaboration and science-driven decisions, can significantly improve outcomes for wildlife. Key takeaways highlighted in the paper include: 🌱 The need to integrate biodiversity objectives into large-scale land-use planning. 🦉 The critical importance of maintaining habitat connectivity in fragmented landscapes. 🤝 The value of partnerships between conservationists, land managers, and policymakers. 📊 Using spatial data and ecological modelling to guide smarter, scalable conservation interventions. Many of the recommendations are transferable and can support connectivity efforts in other landscapes facing similar challenges. Congratulations to Cristi and to all colleagues and partners involved. This is science in action, supporting real solutions for nature 👏 🔗 Award announcement: natureconservation.pensoft.net/news/1080 🔗 Article: natureconservation.pensoft.net/article/71807/ #GreenHeartOfEurope #ScienceInAction #RealSolutionsForNature #WWF #Carpathians

What does real progress for nature look like? Watch the video and dive deep into the WWF Central and Eastern Europe 2025 annual report here 🐾 wwfcee.org/news/wwf-cee-a…

WWF-CEE Annual report 2025 is hot off the press. The past year gave plenty of reasons for despair, but also for hope 🔴Russia continued its attacks on Ukraine’s people, infrastructure, and environment. Politicians and even governments attacked civil society and fanned fears of bears and wolves for political gain. Across Europe, political attention focused on security and competitiveness to the detriment of longer-term concerns regarding climate change and nature loss. 🟡Such growing challenges demand real solutions. 🟢Across the region, we showed the possibility and benefits of working with nature rather than against it. This annual report is an invitation to pause, recharge, and draw strength from what is possible. Discover the stories and successes that prove a future where people and nature thrive together is within reach. 🙏Our deep gratitude goes to all WWF-CEE team members, partners, supporters, nature advocates, and changemakers who made these hopeful achievements a reality. Take a walk through the pages of the report: wwfcee.org/news/wwf-cee-a…

🛑 More than 10,000 people have signed a collective objection to Slovakia’s proposed zoning of Poloniny National Park, calling for stronger protection of one of Europe’s most important forest landscapes. If implemented, the plan would: ⚠️ reduce protection for primeval and old-growth beech forests ⚠️ weaken safeguards in Natura 2000 sites ⚠️ leave even state-owned land without adequate conservation status “Zoning should be the primary mechanism guaranteeing the highest level of protection for these natural assets. Instead, the draft plan would do the opposite,” said Miroslava Plassmann, CEO of WWF Slovakia. The collective objection was initiated jointly by environmental organisations including Zelená väčšina, Aevis, My sme les, Prales, SOS/BirdLife Slovakia and WWF Slovakia, reflecting a broad civil society coalition concerned about the future of the park. Read the full article here 👉 wwfcee.org/news/more-than…

❄️ To all of you, advocates, scientists, partners, supporters, friends and followers who stand for nature, thank you for being part of our journey this year. Your time, energy, passion and dedication make a real difference. As we look ahead, we remain committed to shaping a Green Heart of Europe where both people and nature thrive together. This future is only possible by working together. Wishing you warm and peaceful holidays 🌿

🌲While we are in the season when a Christmas tree stands at the heart of our celebrations, hopes, dreams and gifts, we invite you to discover a community for whom trees have been central to life for hundreds of years. Full story: wwfcee.org/news/how-a-sma… Story shared via @FSC_IC and @WWF_Romania

🎉 What an occasion for celebration! The Minister of Agriculture and Food and the Minister of Environment and Water announced the introduction of a permanent ban on the fishing of all sturgeon species in the Bulgarian waters of the Danube River and the Black Sea. 🐟This important decision aims to prevent the extinction of these critically endangered fish and to contribute to the restoration of biodiversity in the region. 🌎 Sturgeon fishing has been prohibited in Bulgaria since 2011, with all previous orders being temporary. With this new order, Bulgaria joins the other Danube and Black Sea countries where permanent bans on sturgeon fishing are already in force. WWF-Bulgaria has played a key role in achieving this important conservation success for sturgeon species. The organization has: 🔸 carried out long-term population research 🔸 implemented restocking programs by releasing nearly 100,000 juvenile sterlet, beluga, and Russian sturgeon into the Danube to date 🔸 worked to identify and protect spawning habitats 🔸 actively supported the introduction of stricter protection measures. Read the full article here: wwfcee.org/news/bulgaria-… #sturgeon #Danube #BlackSea #WWF #biodiversity #Bulgaria

We often picture destruction and crisis when we hear the word “flood”. Yet not all floods are bad. In many landscapes, natural flooding is essential: 🌱it nourishes soils 💧recharges groundwater 🌳sustains forests and wetlands 🦆and creates habitats for wildlife. Restoring controlled or seasonal flooding can help counteract the effects of drought, support biodiversity and make regions more resilient to climate change. 📢Today we share a brilliant example from eastern Hungary that aims to tackle water scarcity and boost climate resilience through shallow forest flooding 👉 wwfcee.org/news/hungary-t… Zsolt V. Németh, State Secretary for Water Management at the Ministry of Energy, commented that recent weather patterns have shown that drought and water scarcity are no longer temporary phenomena but lasting challenges. “These are long-term issues that require agricultural, ecological, social and economic solutions”, he added. 🌊The intervention retains around 80,000 cubic metres of water at an average depth of 20–30 centimetres. The design of the water retention measures was carried out by WWF-Hungary through the MERLIN EU-funded Horizon project, with additional support provided by The Coca-Cola Foundation as part of the cross-sectoral #LivingDanubePartnership.

Deregulation seems to be all the rage in the EU – but what does it actually mean? 🤔 With 6 Omnibus packages already in 2025, the European Commission is even testing the limits of the Cambridge-approved definition. Skipping consultations, disregarding democratic processes, and chipping away at laws vital for our survival – that seems to be the order of the day. We’ve had a go at pinning down this new concept – because Brussels’ latest trends clearly warrant their own definition💁🏼♀️ #Deregulation #ItsOurNature #HandsOffNature #RulestoProtect #Simplification

🟠 Powerful agriculture, energy, mining, and chemical sectors are lobbying to weaken the EU Water Framework Directive - a.k.a. Europe’s ticket to clean and safe water. If they succeed, the cost will be paid in polluted rivers, weakened resilience, and risks to public health 💸 Fortunately, not every business is trying to derail protections. Many companies are standing firm in support of robust water laws. ➡️See which industries are backing nature and which are undermining it - and why civil society must step up now to defend Europe’s water rules 👉 business.wwfcee.org/blog/industrys… #CleanWater #SafeWater #Deregulation #EUWaterLaws #HandsOffNature #RulestoProtect #ItsOurNature

🐟#WorldFisheriesDay celebrates the importance of sustainable fishing and healthy aquatic ecosystems. 🦖 In the #Danube River Basin, fishing traditions go back centuries - but sturgeons have been here for over 200 million years. 🚨 Once abundant, sturgeons are now critically endangered. One of the key actions for their survival depends on: ✅ monitoring populations across borders, very often made possible thanks to responsible fisherman; ✅ reconnecting rivers; ✅ protecting their habitats. 🎥 In the video below you can see the fishers who accidentally caught, measured, and released this young sturgeon and reported it to WWF. A big thank you to all fishers who help us protect this dinosaur-old species, your continuous cooperation is truly invaluable. For more information about our project on establishing a transboundary system for sturgeon monitoring, don’t forget to check our website: interreg-danube.eu/projects/monst… The project is supported by the Interreg Danube Region Programme co-funded by the European Union. #InterregDanube #DanubeRegionProgramme #EUfunded #MonStur #EU

🟢Yes, wildlife isn’t so different from us. 🐾It thrives on good connections. 🟡For large mammals, migration is essential for reproduction, genetic diversity, and ultimately survival. 🔴But new infrastructure projects slice habitats into isolated fragments, blocking animal movement and accelerating biodiversity loss. To learn more swipe through the snapshots and read the full👉 wwfcee.org/news/people-th… #EcologicalConnectivity #GreenInfrastructure #Wildelife #GreenBridges #Wildlifebridges #Europe #wildlifecrossings #WWF