Gozitan local councils and administrative committees can avail themselves of up to €70,000 each for projects related to the Eco Gozo vision to a total of €1.2 million.

The sum in each case will cover 95 per cent of the costs incurred in the projects, which must address one of the 80 proposals outlined in the Eco Gozo Action Plan published last year. The Eco Gozo vision covers the environment, the economy, society and the national identity.

Addressing representatives of local councils and administrative committees, Gozo Minister Giovanna Debono said projects had to fulfil at least one of the measures proposed by the government in the action plan.

The plan mentions things such as the setting up of a “permanent environmental science education centre in a rural area”, a study on the best irrigation regimes for particular crops, new irrigation systems and irrigation methods, a prehistory heritage trail in Xagħra and the digitisation of medical records

Ms Debono said the ministry itself was already tackling some of the major projects proposed in the action plan. One of these is the cleaning of 30 valleys for rainwater collection. In fact, over the autumn, the Żejta and Marsalforn valleys collected 85 cubic metres of water between them.

While the funds are meant to foster a better natural environment, they do not cater for the installation of photovoltaic panels or other forms of renewable energy as these have already been addressed through the European Regional Development Fund and by the Gozo Ministry itself.

The scheme closes on December 23, and should proposals submitted fall short of requirements, the ministry will assist the councils to fine-tune the plans for them to be in harmony with the Eco Gozo strategy.

The government has committed €25 million for the coming two years for the implementation of the short-term Eco Gozo projects, of which the current scheme forms part.