The State of the Environment report gives a snapshot of issues like environmental health, land use and agriculture. Denise Grech reports.

Students in classrooms that face roads show a higher rate of respiratory conditions, according to the latest State of the Environment report. 

These pupils have increased incidence of recurrent wheezing and exhaled carbon monoxide levels, says the report by the Environment and Resources Authority, which covers the period 2009 to 2015. It was presented in Parliament last week.

Schools in the south were found to have the highest prevalence of recurrent wheezing and other medical conditions that “­­would exhibit signs of respiratory conditions among children,” the report says.

The respiratory issues were also significantly associated with the number of light and heavy vehicles passing near the school, the proximity to power plants and fuel storage facilities, and the accumulation of dust in classrooms.

The findings came from the International Study of Asthma and Allergies in Childhood and the EU’s Schools Indoor Pollution and Health Observatory Network in Europe.

St Anne’s Street in Floriana and St Joseph Street in Ħamrun were found to be the most polluted streets in terms of nitrogen dioxide

The ERA recommends that further studies be carried out to better understand the links between school location and children’s health.

It also recommends that authorities build safer roads and playgrounds, adding that any green areas in the localities should ideally not be close to traffic-congested areas.

The concentration of airborne particulate matter is still high in heavy traffic areas, with the attendant health implications, according to the report.

St Anne’s Street in Floriana and St Joseph Street in Ħamrun were found to be the most polluted streets in terms of nitrogen dioxide.

Both these streets were characterised by heavy traffic and poor ventilation due to high buildings, creating a “street canyon”.

“Measures to reduce traffic emissions are required for improvement,” the report insists.

Noise pollution and the poor

Noise pollution is becoming “an equity issue”, related to socio-economic status, age and place of residence, says the report.

“This indicates that the poor, the old and those living in dense places in Malta are exposed to heavy traffic and are the most affected, making further action in this field highly significant.”

Another socio-economic impact is on vehicle use, with some 4,200 households not owning cars due to their inability to afford the costs of ownership. “The percentage of the elderly population that does not own a car, for instance, is twice as high (36 per cent) as the average for the entire population (18 per cent).”

Soil erosion is farmers’ loss

Nearly a fifth of Malta is at risk of moderate to severe soil erosion, the report found.

And the average farmer has to spend 65 per cent of the yearly economic revenue from utilised agricultural land to replace eroded soils and artificially maintain soil quality in the erosion-affected areas.

Soil erosion is considered a major threat to the sustainability of the agricultural sector, with the report warning that agricultural practices may exacerbate the pressure from soil erosion.

Efficient land use

A greater focus is needed to maximise the efficient use of land due to factors such as high population density and land scarcity, the report says.

However, “the declining dependence of the economy on resources and the increased importance of the tertiary sector…is a positive development”.

On housing, the ERA recommends a careful assessment of the supply of residential property and vacant dwellings.

Residential vacancy risks inefficient use of land, mineral and other resources, which could have been more productively used elsewhere. On the other hand, over-supply of dwellings poses a risk to price sustainability, as well as raising the question of unnecessary impacts on the landscape, environment and society, the report says.