The latest environmental data has been put together and collated in a new geoportal information system, giving the chance to the public, businesses and voluntary groups to access the data and analyse it.

Launched by Malta Environment and Planning Authority, chairman Vince Cassar explained that it would help associations and the public take conscious decisions and instigate change when equipped with credible, regular and timely information about the state of the Maltese environment.

The website, www.seismalta.org.mt, presents highly complex data about air, marine, soil and planning in an easy to understand format. It will also be useful to policy makers.

Speaking during the launch this morning, project consultant Saviour Formosa said that this project was innovative because “highly diverse and disparate domains were successfully integrated into a single interactive project”.

This geoportal is the final component of a €5 million EU funded project on environmental monitoring. Called Developing National Environmental Infrastructure and Capacity, the project focused on radically improving the monitoring capacity of air, water, radiation, noise, soil and marine.

The project was headed by Mepa in collaboration with the university, the National Statistics Office, the directorate for environmental health and the Malta Resources Authority.

Dr Formosa also launched a book this morning, called Future Preparedness – Thematic and Spatial Issues for the Environment and Sustainability.

Through a collaboration of 28 experts in the scientific and operational field, the publication outlines the major challenges faced by society as it passes through diverse and contrasting social realities between the environment, human capital and land use.