Vision & Strategy

The Viliya–Neris is more than a single river in need of protection. It is a European test case for how shared ecosystems can be governed under conditions of geopolitical uncertainty, climate change, expanding infrastructure, nuclear risk and increasing pressure on biodiversity. Its future will show whether Europe is capable of protecting natural heritage not only in times of stability, but also when environmental commitments come into tension with security, transport and public investment agendas.

Our vision is that the Viliya–Neris remains first and foremost a living transboundary ecosystem connecting Belarus, Lithuania and the Baltic Sea basin. It should not be reduced to a military corridor, an emergency route, a transport canal or a repository of cumulative environmental risk. It should continue to function as a natural system whose ecological processes sustain biodiversity, regulate water and climate, support local communities and connect societies across borders.

Protecting the Viliya–Neris also means protecting a wider European principle: healthy ecosystems strengthen democratic societies, climate resilience and long-term security. Environmental stewardship, scientific knowledge, public participation and international cooperation are not obstacles to security; they are among its foundations.

We therefore envision the Viliya–Neris as one of Europe’s best protected free-flowing rivers, a model of integrated transboundary river governance, a living migration corridor for Wild Baltic Salmon and other protected species, and a European reference case demonstrating that nature can remain protected even under geopolitical pressure.

Ultimately, our vision extends beyond preserving one river. We seek to demonstrate that if Europe can protect the Viliya–Neris, it can also learn how to protect other shared ecosystems whose futures are increasingly shaped by climate change, infrastructure expansion, security policy and public decision-making.

Our Strategy

Save Neris is built on a simple principle: a river cannot be protected unless it is first understood. Knowledge is therefore not separate from conservation. It is one of the conditions that makes conservation possible.

Our strategy combines scientific research, legal analysis, environmental monitoring, public communication and democratic participation within one integrated European framework. Rather than responding only to isolated threats, we examine how several transformations interact within the same river basin: ecological change, climate pressure, infrastructure development, nuclear risk, military mobility, public finance, European law and democratic governance.

Taken separately, each of these fields explains only part of the river’s future. Taken together, they reveal how the Viliya–Neris is being reshaped by a wider transformation in the relationship between nature, society and the state.

Our work follows five strategic directions.

1. Observe

We systematically document the transformation of the Viliya–Neris through scientific research, environmental monitoring, hydrological analysis, satellite imagery, historical documentation, legal research, public records and open data. The purpose is to establish a long-term evidence base that shows how the river is changing, why these changes are occurring and which decisions are shaping its future.

2. Understand

We analyse how ecological, legal, technological, financial and geopolitical processes interact within the river basin. Instead of treating Natura 2000 protection, nuclear safety, military mobility, infrastructure planning and public funding as separate issues, we study their cumulative impact on the river as a living system.

3. Explain

We translate complex scientific, legal and policy questions into accessible public knowledge. This includes explaining why river morphology matters, why Wild Baltic Salmon is an indicator of ecosystem health, how environmental risks travel downstream, why the Baltic Sea is connected to decisions made along the Viliya–Neris, and why public participation is essential before irreversible changes are made.

4. Protect

The knowledge we produce is intended to support practical protection. Scientific evidence can inform policy decisions; legal analysis can strengthen compliance with environmental obligations; documentation can improve accountability; and public participation can ensure that decisions affecting the river are made transparently and responsibly.

5. Transform

Our longer-term ambition is to make the Viliya–Neris a European reference case for governing shared ecosystems under pressure. The river can demonstrate that environmental protection, democratic governance and long-term security do not need to compete with one another. Properly understood, they reinforce one another.

Our Long-Term Goal

Our long-term goal is to safeguard the ecological integrity of the Viliya–Neris and to secure its recognition as one of Europe’s leading examples of integrated transboundary river protection.

We seek to ensure that the river remains recognised primarily as a living ecological corridor and shared natural heritage, rather than being redefined as infrastructure for military mobility, transport development or cumulative nuclear risk.

At the same time, Save Neris aims to contribute to a broader European discussion about how biodiversity protection, environmental law, democratic participation, public funding and sustainable security can work together in the governance of shared natural systems.

What Success Looks Like

Success will not be measured only by the prevention of individual harmful projects. It will be measured by a deeper transformation in how the Viliya–Neris is understood, governed and valued.

Our vision will be realised when the ecological integrity of the river is maintained; Wild Baltic Salmon continues to migrate freely through the basin; Natura 2000 obligations are fully respected; nuclear and radioactive-waste risks are independently assessed and transparently communicated; infrastructure and military planning comply with environmental law; European public funding supports conservation rather than degradation; and citizens, scientists and local communities have meaningful access to information and decision-making.

Ultimately, success means that the Viliya–Neris remains what it has always been: a living river connecting landscapes, species, communities and generations. It also means that the story of one river helps Europe learn how to protect many others.