Assessment of road transport ecological security impact in Poland

Abstract

Poland’s location in the central part of Europe means international communications routes connecting north and south of the continent and east and west. Many Polish roads are transit routes that pass through environmentally valuable areas, run through forests and swamps, and cross migration routes of animals. A physical impact of transport on the environment is multipronged; it concerns, in particular, the quality of air, water, and soil, as well as disturbance of biodiversity, landscape planning, acoustic climate, the danger of vibrations and road security. Moreover, environmental resources are necessary for the efficient functioning of the transport system to generate energy, but on the other hand, to build infrastructure facilities. Apart from sustainable development, ecological security is one of the approaches to understand and solve environmental problems. Simultaneously, compared to issues connected with economics, politics, social and military problems, attempts to securitize ecology and the environment have a relatively short story. The article aims to identify threats for ecological security and solutions connected with road transport functioning in Poland.