New system to assess environment sustainability indicators

The National Statistics Office and the Sustainability Indicators Malta Observatory yesterday announced that a comprehensive system had been devised to collect, evaluate, store and disseminate information on the environment and sustainable development.

Sustainability Indicators Malta Observatory (SI-MO), which forms part of the Small States Institute, has collaborated with the NSO to compute a set of sustainability indicators for Malta.

The indicators are based on the methodology produced by the United Nation's Blue Plan for the Mediterranean and are divided into six categories: population and society; land and areas; economic activities; environment; sustainable development; policies and cooperation in the Mediterranean. In all, there are 130 indicators, of which SI-MO has managed to compute about 100 between 1995 and 2001.

The parliamentary secretary for the environment, George Pullicino, said sustainability indicators could be used to identify weaknesses or shortcomings and to set targets and objectives.

"In identifying weaknesses, sustainability indicators can be used to diagnose a situation, and this information can be used to establish the source of damage and prescribe some form of treatment.

"They can also set targets. Once the situation is assessed and diagnosed, and management is put in place to mitigate the negative impacts and to monitor the situation, it is important to set targets as to what is desirable in the future.

"This function of sustainability indicators helps policy makers to plan and to enlist the participation of all stakeholders in taking action along a well-defined path," Mr Pullicino said.

SI-MO chairman Lino Brigulio said the indicators were more than a snapshot of the state of affairs, in that they allowed one to make a comparison to see whether matters were improving or whether a problem was getting worse.

The indicators showed, for instance, that an extensive tract of land beneath Maghtab was contaminated. Carbon dioxide emissions were quite bad but the situation was improving, Prof. Brigulio said.