Sensitive habitats in bad state

Over 60 per cent of ecologically-sensitive areas that are protected in Malta are in an inadequate or bad state of conservation, according to a national environment report.

The status of 29 per cent of such habitats and 36 per cent of species listed in the EU Habitats Directive remained unknown, Marguerite Camilleri, from the planning authority's Environment Directorate, said yesterday.

Dr Camilleri was speaking during the presentation of the 2008 State of the Environment Report, published every three years by the Malta Environment and Planning Authority. The report monitors changes in trends related to the most important environmental parameters.

More stringent measures were required to improve the standard of the habitats while more surveys were necessary to assess those species with unknown status, Dr Camilleri said.

Turning to housing, Dr Camilleri said the number of planning permits for housing dropped by 40 per cent between 2007 and 2008. But Mepa still granted permits for over 6,000 dwellings, 4,000 above the annual household needs.

There are about 50,000 empty houses in Malta and Gozo, amounting to one-third of all property. "The value of the empty property amounts to almost one-third of all the country's savings," she said.

The report pointed out that, while Malta's population met its basic material needs, it kept placing unsustainable demands on the environment, putting a strain on natural resources and processes.

But the environment was closely linked to the economy. It contributed to two per cent of the Gross Domestic Product and had generated almost three per cent of jobs, she said.

The report also tackled Malta's groundwater resources, which it said were being over-exploited because of widespread unauthorised extraction that led to increased salinity levels.

The nitrate levels in nine of 13 Water Services Corporation pumping stations exceeded EU levels, with Mġarr being the worst. Caused by animal waste and the excessive use of fertilisers, the nitrate contamination was of "major concern", the report said.

Turning to air quality, Dr Camilleri said particulate matter, also referred to as fine dust, and ozone were the main two air pollutants in Malta.

Particulate matter was mainly made up of mineral elements, traffic and power emissions, construction dust and sand from the Sahara desert. Ozone is formed through chemical reactions of primary traffic and power generation emissions.

Dr Camilleri said these triggered off respiratory diseases in vulnerable groups such as children, the elderly and those suffering from asthma and heart problems.

The levels of nitrogen oxide were increasing because of heavy traffic and in several instances had exceeded EU levels in Msida, she said.

Environment Parliamentary Secretary Mario de Marco pointed out that the report presented a snapshot of the country's environment that was already two years old. In the meantime, Malta had become more energy-efficient and had implemented a number of policies focused on the environment, he said.

But more work had to be done to manage the special marine protected areas and the management of waste, water and traffic, he added.

The Environment Directorate team would increase by about 50 per cent through the employment of 45 people who would focus more on enforcement, Dr de Marco said.