Research on what helps make islands attractive
Two University academics – Godfrey Baldacchino and Rose Marie Azzopardi – recently conducted research on social, economic, and environmental issues affecting islands and small economies to identify variables that make islands more or less attractive...
Two University academics – Godfrey Baldacchino and Rose Marie Azzopardi – recently conducted research on social, economic, and environmental issues affecting islands and small economies to identify variables that make islands more or less attractive for residency, investment or study purposes.
The research, conducted on Malta, Lipari and Kökar from February 2009 to May 2011, was conducted as part of Euroislands, an EU project dealing with the implications of the EU policies on small populated islands in the EU. It was financed under the European Spatial Observatory Network programme 2013.
An island impact assessment tool was tested in the fieldwork conducted by the researchers.
Dr Azzopardi evaluated the effect of the European Social Funds on Lipari, and Prof. Baldacchino assessed the impact of the EU’s Cohesion and Regional Development policies on the sustainability of Kökar’s society and economy.
He subsequently published an article about the case study results in the Island Studies Journal.
For details, visit www.espon.eu/main/Menu_Projects/Menu_TargetedAnalyses/EUROISLANDS.html.