A new public agency to manage and protect the Maltese countryside is being proposed in a discussion paper by the Today Public Policy Institute.
Called Natura Malta, the agency would be set up by law, funded by the government and run by a board that would include government representatives and nominations by NGOs, relevant university departments and local councils.
The think-tank, in its paper titled The future of nature parks in Malta: innovation and management, analyses the prevailing situation and puts forward proposals for the management, protection and conservation of the countryside.
Natura Malta would provide the necessary direction and the required resources for the effective protection of Malta’s countryside and biodiversity, the paper says.
Recognising that there have been significant advances in the designation of protected areas and in the enactment of legislation and policies to protect land and biodiversity, the paper says that active management of protected areas was still absent.
The proposal is just the start of what should be the active protection of a common inheritance
It points out that having different entities dealing with Malta’s protected areas was leading to an uncoordinated and fragmented approach, promoting conflict, gaps and lack of leadership.
The institute is suggesting that site managers would be responsible for operating, in accordance with agreements with Natura Malta, a particular protected site or sites. The areas could have different types of management structures, involving NGOs, local councils, private enterprise and government entities, depending on the history and requirements of the different sites.
The paper makes a clear distinction between the regulator, the Malta Environment Authority, which ensures adherence with legislation and policies, and the management of designated areas, which would be delegated to other entities by Natura Malta.
A second major proposal in the discussion paper is a national park in the north-west of the island.
The proposed area includes part of the existing Majjistral Park, Foresta 2000 going down to Ras il-Pellegrin, Il-Kunċizzjoni, Fomm ir-Riħ and all the way down through to Buskett up to Wied iż-Żurrieq.
Some of the most spectacular scenery in Malta together with a number of important archaeological sites and a wealth of cultural heritage lies in these areas, the study notes.
The topography determined the landscape character of the Maltese islands and the varied landscapes guaranteed the existence of water ways on the impermeable clay layer and defined the way in which human activity shaped and managed the land for centuries.
Hillsides have been systematically terraced to create space for agriculture and to protect the soil from erosion. The high ground was also used for defence purposes as in Mdina and for habitation as in Mellieħa.
The steeper valleys, such as Wied Babu, have been abandoned probably due to difficulty of access and the shift from an agricultural community to a more urban one, the report says.
A national park status for the area would ensure pedestrian access as well as protection from building encroachment, dumping and other threats in an area which is increasingly seeing encroachments and creeping development, it adds.
This proposal is just the start of what should be the active protection of a common inheritance and its preservation for future generations, the paper says.
The institute says Malta’s countryside has been dwindling rapidly. Between 1995 and mid-2015, a total of 12,572 building permits were granted in areas outside the development zones in Malta and Gozo.
The construction industry and the government treated the countryside as a ‘cheap’ option for building and development compared to the ‘expensive’ option of using land within the established development zones. Natural habitats and ecosystems were deteriorating at a fast pace, leading to the disappearance of the country’s biodiversity.
The study argues that the countryside should be appreciated as a valuable resource to be safeguarded through management, protection and conservation measures, rather than a cheap resource to be developed.
Moreover, the conservation and management of Malta’s natural heritage has still to develop in line with the progress registered in the conservation and management of built heritage.
Malta designated 34 terrestrial Natura 2000 sites in terms of European Union legislation and has also protected and managed other nature sites under national legislation.
Although legally protected, many areas are still unmanaged and subject to serious development pressures, the study points out.
It suggests a management solution to ensure the proper conservation of the remaining natural landscapes and the protection of the natural heritage and biodiversity.