Malta is among 19 countries across the globe at risk of drying out, according to the World Resource Institute. Figures compiled by the Washington DC environmental research organisation show that the island has one of the highest “water stress” levels in the world.
Water stress is the ratio of ground water extraction to available groundwater resources. The study found that some 80 per cent of the water available for agriculture, domestic and industrial use is being withdrawn from the water table and not being replaced.
“Water stress can have serious consequences. Drought, floods and competition for limited resources can threaten national economies, energy production and even jeopardise people’s lives,” WRI research associate Paul Reig said.
The researchers looked at water risks in 100 river basins and 181 nations, the first such water assessment of its kind. Malta was joined by the Western Sahara, Qatar, Bahrain, Kuwait and 13 other countries whose reserves are running dry.
Hydrologist and Malta Water Association founding member Marco Cremona told Times of Malta he was hardly surprised by the damning report. He said the continued dependence on ground water extraction and relatively low catchment of rain water was leading to the drying out of the island’s reserves.
In fact, the study indicated that Malta had one of the most dangerous levels of groundwater use and no major reservoirs. Dr Cremona pointed out that, if each household had the mandatory cistern for rainwater collection, then the high dependence on ground water extraction would be substantially reduced.
He said that the 3,000 registered private boreholes alone could potentially yield some 13 million cubic metres of water every year. This would likely double once illegal and non-registered boreholes were taken into consideration.
The extraction of groundwater should be monitored using onsite meters, he said. However, while meters are used in all Water Services Corporation sites and 150 commercial boreholes, many private wells remain unmonitored.
An initiative to introduce meters to all sites back in 2009 was put on the back burner after problems in indentifying their location hindered the installation process.
It is not just ground extraction that is causing the water shortage: about 60 per cent of rainwater is going to waste.
“About 10 per cent of rainwater evaporates and another 25 per cent seeps into the water table. The rest, however, is lost during the heavy flooding in certain areas,” said Dr Cremona.
A modest 174 million cubic metres of rainwater fall on Malta every year. Dr Cremona said that, while only 10 per cent results in flooding, certain areas see as much as 85 per cent contribute to major flooding.
“Areas like Msida have geographic and infrastructural characteristics which are conducive to flooding,” he said, reiterating that the solution rested with the introduction of more reservoirs and domestic cisterns.