Malta has registered positive trends in terms of air and sea water quality, biodiversity and policy response to environmental problems but the country had problems with its fresh water quality while trends in terms of resource and waste management were negative, according to Environmental Report Indicators for 2009, published this morning.
The indicators were presented to the media by the Malta Environment and Planning Authority in the presence of the Parliamentary Secretary responsible for the Environment, Mario de Marco.
Dr de Marco chided Mepa for taking so long to publish the 2009 indicators, saying he expected to at least see those for 2010.
Environmental protection director Petra Bianchi promised a quicker response and said the report for 2010 will be issued in the first half of next year.
The 2009 report shows that there was a significant 22.5 per cent drop in the number of planning permits.
Air quality had improved with lower levels of sulphur dioxide, mainly thanks to the use of cleaner fossil fuels and there was also an increase in the number of registered vehicles on the road.
Dr de Marco said that Malta had the fifth highest rate of cars per capita in the world but the public transport reform as well as various government initiatives, such as car scrappage scheme, should have an effect on these figures.
There was a significant drop in the amount of construction waste generated.
But nitrate levels in 90 per cent of the country's ground water were very high.
Dr de Marco remarked that this was a serious issue since it could take up to 40 years to restore nitrate levels.
On a positive note, he said that Malta has 13 per cent of its land protected under Natura 2000. This was higher than the average of other EU countries, which was doubly positive because of the country's size and population.
He noted that there were are certain factors, such as opening of the Barkat sewage treatment plant and use of the Sant Antnin for certain recycling, which were not considered in the 2009 indicators.
www.mepa.org.mt/teri2009