Global experts have warned that a third world war might be fought over water, since large parts of the world will experience perennial water shortages as populations drastically increase and resources decline. The recent developments in Cape Town, where officials are predicting that water will run out by mid-April, are a wakeup call, not just for South Africa but also for the rest of the world. In Malta, we had a similar scare in the 1970s when people opened their taps to find salty water. What this meant was that the groundwater table was dwindling as a result of over-extraction. The government back then invested in reverse osmosis to purify seawater and make it fit for public consumption.

The government understands the challenges facing the country right now when it comes to water, so a couple of weeks ago, together with Minister Joe Mizzi, I launch­ed a €20 million project entitled ‘Enhancing National Monitoring and Public Engagement Capacity for Improved Water Resources Management’. 

This project is focused on the development of two main components. The first is data-gathering, an advanced water resour­ces monitoring framework for the Maltese islands.

The second component is publicity, with a campaign to get the public to be sensitive to the challenges related to water resources. 

The information gathered from data monitoring will be useful for public engagement activities and for the implementation of the EU’s Water Framework Directive.

The government is aiming to achieve a high level of awareness on the better use and conservation of water through traditional audio-visual and print media, online and social media, public and stakeholder engagement campaigns, house visits, technical workshops and demon­stration sites showing efficient water use and conservation. 

New information will be sourc­ed on the quantity and quality of water resources, through im­prov­ed monitoring infrastructure in saturated and unsaturated zones, improved data interpretation and groundwater predictive models. This will lead to the develop­ment of better groundwater protection and extraction strategies and ultimately, better water quality.

Another €100 million project is designed to ensure integrated water resource management, promoting security-of-supply mea­sures that are necessary due to our lack of freshwater sources and our high population density.

This project will also contribute to improvement in the quality of water and sustainability of water resources, through a multifaceted approach that covers water production and distribution, wastewater collection and treatment, and water re-use.

The proposed measures seek to reconcile supply and demand in terms of quantity and quality and will increase efficiency, resulting in a reduction of losses. The proposed interventions include investing in a new reverse osmosis plant in Gozo and increasing the capaci­ty of existing ROs across Malta.

In recent months, there has been a discussion about water and water consumption. The government I represent took note of these discussions and we have shown that we understand the challenge our country is facing.

I can say with confidence that we are committed to continue us­ing both national and EU funds to address this challenge. Our long-term plan is a work-in-progress and we are committed to the completion of this project.

Aaron Farrugia is parliamentary secretary for EU funds and social dialogue.

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