Mepa schedules natural heritage areas

The Malta Environment and Planning Authority (Mepa) has scheduled Wardija Ridge, Il-Ballut tal-Wardija, Il-Wied ta’ San Martin and Il-Maqluba, to safeguard the rich natural heritage these areas contribute towards Malta's eco-system.

Wardija ridge, Il-Ballut tal-Wardija and Il-Wied ta’ San Martin run in a southwestern - northeastern direction from the Għajn Tuffieħa to Xemxija Bay. The northern ridge edge is interrupted by a series of valley systems which discharge into il-Wied tal-Pwales.

The area has been assigned various levels of protection, the highest covering the Holm Oak forest remnant at Il-Ballut and the watercourse at Il-Wied ta’ San Martin: two relatively small pocket areas for which a Level 1 maximum protection has been given. The landscape plateaus, that have been assigned a Level 2 degree of protection as areas of ecological importance and sites of scientific importance, support important garigue communities characterised by rare species.

Others levels of protection have been given to the three valley systems in the scheduled areas, the upper reaches of the watercourse of Il-Wied ta’ San Martin and the Southern part of the promontory at the area known as L-Arġentier.

The area known as Il-Maqluba in the limits of Qrendi is one of the best examples of a deep, large-scale inland solution subsidence structure (doline) in the Maltese Islands. It is the only natural sub-circular depression that is not filled with sediment. The doline serves as a natural soak-away reservoir, with a depth of approximately 15 metres, an area of approximately 6,000 square metres and a perimeter of 300 metres.

This area supports a dense maquis community dominated by Bay Laurel and a native stand of Malta’s National Tree: the Sandarac Gum Tree. Malta’s National Bird, the Blue Rock Thrush, is also known to breed at Il-Maqluba. The immediate surroundings of Il-Maqluba support a maquis dominated by Carob trees and Hawthorn, amongst other species.