The article addresses the issues related to sustainable inland waterway transport in the context of stimulating transformations towards a green economy. The considerations focused on the second-largest river in Poland – the Oder. The clear economic needs and benefits arising from the river’s regulation and the restoration of its transport capabilities were juxtaposed with the results of a study regarding the perception of these changes by the public opinion. To clarify, these were the residents of the Oder River Basin, thus people in the immediate impact area of the river.