Poland rushes to expand shelters as demand and threats rise

Poland has a large shortfall in formal shelter capacity. A 2024 report by the country's Supreme Audit Office found there were enough official shelters and protective hiding places for roughly 4% of the population. Even fewer — under 1% of those spaces — are hermetically sealed and equipped with dedicated ventilation systems.

Suspected Russian drone incursions and a wider climate of hybrid threats exposed weaknesses in Poland's civil-protection infrastructure. That spurred government action this year: new legislation requires developers to incorporate underground shelters or at least design underground spaces that can serve as temporary protection in large residential and public buildings.

Some local authorities are taking specific steps. Warsaw announced plans to adapt metro stations to accommodate about 100,000 people in an emergency. Other city administrations are inspecting and assessing sites to determine which spaces can be used quickly.

A growing private market supplies modular family shelters. One central Poland firm produces high-density polyethylene cylinders about eight metres long, intended to fit under a house or garden. These units include basic domestic fittings such as bunks, a toilet and shower, an air filtration system, water storage, and an emergency escape hatch. They are primarily aimed at higher-income customers and are often concealed to remain private.

Poland's Cold War-era shelters still exist underneath schools, older apartment blocks and public buildings, but many are defunct. For three decades after the Cold War no new public shelters were built, and new housing developments were not required to include shelter facilities until the recent legislation. That means large parts of the population remain exposed to threats that could require rapid sheltering.

Authorities can expand usable shelter capacity faster by adapting existing underground spaces — garages, tunnels, and metro stations — and by enforcing the new requirement for underground space in large buildings. Public funding is in place for sizeable upgrades. However, hermetically sealed, ventilated shelters remain rare. Private shelters offer a niche option for those who can afford them but will not close the national gap.

Poland is accelerating shelter construction and mapping to meet rising security concerns. The combination of public investment, new building rules and a market for private shelters will increase capacity, but most residents will continue to rely on adapted temporary spaces rather than sealed shelters designed for long-term protection.