Noisy areas extend to around 90 per cent of Malta compared to some 50 per cent in most other EU Member States, making the island one of the noisiest places to live in the EU.
In Europe, harmful levels of road traffic noise affect one in four people. But Malta is considered to be one of the most extreme cases for noise pollution, according to a report by the European Environment Agency (EEA).
The health risks from such noise range from sleepless nights to heart disease. More than 125 million Europeans could be exposed to levels of road traffic noise above legal guidelines, causing up to 10,000 premature deaths each year, the report ‘Noise in Europe 2014’ states.
Health risks range from sleepless nights to heart disease
It is the EEA’s first noise assessment report that analysed exposure to noise levels and the environmental and public health problems that result.
Environmental noise is linked to 43,000 hospital admissions, 900,000 cases of hypertension and up to 10,000 premature deaths per year in Europe, according to the agency.
Road traffic is the main source of noise in Europe, the report said, followed by railways, airports and industry.
Noise pollution is a growing environmental concern. It is widely present not only in the busiest urban environments but also areas considered as natural environments.
Quiet areas are also important for animals. The share of quiet areas inside Natura 2000 sites is higher compared to the other areas in EU countries. But in Malta, these protected sites are also not free from the cacophony.
“In small countries like Belgium, Luxembourg and Malta the share of quiet areas is very low and noisy areas represent a significant portion of the protected areas,” the EEA states.
The adverse health effects for those exposed to noise levels above the EU’s threshold for assessment and action, 55 decibels, are both direct and indirect, according to the report.
Noise affects the well-being of exposed human populations, children’s ability to learn, and the health and distribution of wildlife on land and at sea.
It also inflicts a high economic price society must pay because of noise pollution.
Importantly, the EEA recommends noise considerations to be incorporated into planning and building of new infrastructure – something local environmental organisations have long been arguing. It also recommends that quiet areas should be protected.
The report concludes noise is one of the most pervasive pollutants in Europe: “Increased pressures impact upon our ability to protect our own health and the health of sensitive populations such as the young, the immobile and those living in deprived areas, which may well be at most risk from the adverse health effects associated with noise.”
The World Health Organisation says that noise is an underestimated threat.
In June 2002 the European Parliament and Council adopted the Environmental Noise Directive. It obliges member states to monitor the problem and draw up “strategic noise maps” to assess the number of people annoyed and sleep-disturbed. Member states are also required to inform and consult the public about noise exposure, its effects, and the measures considered to address noise, in line with the principles of the Aarhus Convention.
Authorities must also draw up action plans to reduce noise and the number of people affected.
In another report in 2011, the European Commission estimated that noise from traffic cost some €40 billion a year due to a slump in the price of property close to noisy roads, lower productivity at work and medical bills.