(English Version below)
Dan il-grupp ta’ NGOs, u entitajiet alkademiċi, li għandhom għal qalbhom is-socjeta u l-wirt naturali u kulturali ta’ Malta, ngħaqqdu flimkien biex jesprimu t-tħassib serju tagħhom dwar l-istat tal-ambjent, u l-prospett tal-futur ta’ Malta u Għawdex.
1. Nature Trust Malta
2. Din l-Art Ħelwa
3. Moviment Graffiti
4. Flimkien għall-Ambjent Aħjar
5. Professional Diving Schools Association Islands of Malta
6. Grow 10 Trees
7. Malta Energy Efficient and Renewable Energies Association
8. Repubblika
9. Franciscan Friars. Malta
10. The Biological Conservation Research Foundation
11. The Faculty for the Built Environment
Politika ta’ Ippjanar żbaljata jew abużata
In-nies tilfu l-fiduċja fl-istrateġiji tal-gvern dwar l-ambjent ta’ madwarna, u, partikolarment, fl-Awtorita’ tal-Ippjanar (PA). Darba wara l-oħra l-PA adottat politika (policies) li għandha difetti serji, per eżempju l-politika dwar ir-rilokazzjoni ta’ Pompi tal-Petrol – li, fl-aħħar, ġiet rikonoxxuta minn kulħadd bħala żbaljata, imma li minħabba t-tkarkir tas-saqajn biex il-politika tinbidel mill-awtoritajiet responsabbli, xorta għada tintuża bħala ġustifikazzjoni li pompa waħedha, fil-qalba tar-raħal, tinbidel fi 3000 metru kwadru ta’ spekulazzjoni, barra miż-Żona tal-Iżvilupp. L-aħħar deċiżjoni tal-Awtorita’ approvat proposta biex jirdoppja l-volum ta’ “fish farm”, li kulħadd kien jaf kien ilhu jopera illegalment fl-istess sit. Il-kundizzjoni tal-Awtorita’ hi li – “basta ma jiżdiedx in- numru ta’ ħut li jitkabbar fihom” – tkompli f’sensiela li jwasslu li kwalunkwe politika ambjentali l-anqas tiswa’ l-linka li biha miktuba. Dawn id-deċiżjonijiet iħajjru lill-iżviluppaturi biex jaħsbu li kollox huwa possibbli – lukanda fuq is-sit fejn kien hemm il-“Flower Power”; djar fuq siti ta’ importanza arkaeoloġika, bħal Tal-Qares, il-Mosta; bini fuq ġonna storiċi ġo Ħal-Balzan u l-Mosta; “yoga hotel” barra l-Qala – għaliex dak li wieħed normalment ma tistax toħolmu ħafna drabi jsib xi politika moħbija li tippermettieh.
L-ironija hi li l-gvern qed jissuġġerixxi li jsiru msaġar kbar f’Bengħajsa u f’Ta’ Qali meta min-naħa l-oħra żamm ir-Razzjonalizzazzjoni taż-Żoni ta’ Żvilupp li sar fl-2006, minnflok ħassarhom. Din ir-Razzjonalizzazzjoni tagħmel ħafna ħsara lil meded kbar ta’ art rurali. L-ispazji miftuħin tagħna huma kontinwament mheddha minn żvilupp biex jinbnew djar, jew parkeġġi, jew biex jitwesgħu toroq bla sens. Dan wassal għal tnaqqis fil-kwalita’ tal-arja, u d-degradazzjoni tal-ilma tal-pjan, kif ukoll ħsara lis-saħħa mentali u fiżika ta’ nies li jgħixu f’pajjiż li għandu fost l-ogħla numru ta’ abitanti kull metru kwadru fid-dinja.
Nindirizzaw il-problema tat-traffiku b’mod ħolistiku
Meded kbar ta’ art agrikola (li għadna ma nafux kemm) qed jingħataw it-tarmak bħala parti minn kampanja ta’ twessiegħ tat-toroq, bl-awtoritajiet jevitaw kemm il-ħtieġa ta’ permessi għall-iżvilupp kif ukoll l-istudji dwar l-impatt ta’ dan it-twessiegħ. Kull sewwieq jaf li t-twessiegħ tat- toroq jwassal biex il-problema tal-konġestjoni timxi minn post għal ieħor, u għalhekk il-benefiċju tat-twessiegħ m’għandux ħajja twila. Il-problema tal-konġestjoni tat-traffiku mhux qed tiġi studjatha b’mod ħolistiku. Sistemi alternattivi ta’ trasport mhux qed jingħataw l-importanza li ħaqqhom, u fid-diżinn tat-toroq m’hemmx ħsieb serju dwar il-possibilta’ tal-użu ta’ roti. Tajjeb li wieħed jaspira lejn trasport pubbliku b’xejn, pero jekk ma jkunx hemm qabża fondamentali lejn l-użu ta’ trasport pubbliku, il-possibilta’ li jitnaqqsu il-karozzi fit-triq tibqa’ ħidma impossibbli. It- trasport pubbliku jibqa’ mod ineffiċjenti għan-nies.
L-Ambjent Naturali
Il-problema ta’ speċi invażivi, li jinkludu kemm pjanti (per eżempju il-“Fountain Grass”, Penisetum sp.) kif ukoll annimali (per eżempju l-gamblu ta’ l-ilma ħelu, Procambarus clarkii ) qed tiġi njoratha; l-ERA, li hija l-aġenzija ewlenija responsabbli ta’ dawn il-kwistjonijiet, għandha nuqqas kbar ta’ risorsi umani. Ma jitwemminx kif l-ambjent tal-baħar huwa kważi minsi. Il-baħar huwa riżors importanti għall-ekonomija tagħna, mhux biss f’termini ta’ sajd, imma anke ta’ turiżmu u rikreazzjoni. Aħna l-NGOs nfaħħru l-isforzi u l-kampanji li saru biex jitnaqqas l-iskart tal-plastik li jispiċċa l-baħar. Imma nkwetati li r-riklamazzjoni tal-art mill-baħar qegħdha tiġi ppreżentatha bħala soluzzjoni biex tgħin lill-ambjent. Minkejja din l-azzjoni ġiet adottatha f’pajjiżi oħra, għadna ma rajna l-ebda ġustifikazzjoni valida għaliha f’Malta ħlief sabiex ittaffi l-problema tal-iskart iġġenerat mill-industrija tal-bini. Minħabba li r-reklamazzjoni għanda impatt devastanti fuq il-ħajja u l-biodiversita’ tal-baħar, jkun aktar għaqli kieku nistudjaw sew kif jista’ jiġi evitat il-bżonn ta’ eskavar, nistudjaw metodi aħjar ta’ kif neskavaw, u ta’ kif nirriċiklaw l-iskart mill-eskavar. Aħna, l-NGO’s għadna xettiċi li l-proġetti ta’ riklamazzjoni tal-art mill-baħar m’humiex skuza sabiex xi uħud fl-industrija tal-bini jgawdu minnha. Meta kulħadd fid-dinja jinkwieta dwar il-fatt li t-tibdil fil-klima jwassal għall-bidla fil-livell tal-baħar u għall-maltempati aktar qalila u frekwenti, kemm hu għaqli għal Malta li żżid il-firxa tal-art tagħha f’inħawi li huma esposti għall-irjieħ tal- Majjistral u l-Grigal?
In-nies xebgħu mill-proġetti li jiġu mħabbra qabel l-elezzjonijiet, li ħafna drabi ma jkunux maħsuba bir-reqqa, wisq anqas sostennibli. Flok li jtejbu l-kwalita’ tal-ħajja u l-kwalita’ tal-ambjent, dawn il-proġetti ikollhom impatt negattiv fuq kulħadd. Aħna l-NGOs nħeġġu l-partiti politiċi kollha, u speċjalment il-Gvern, biex jagħtu valur sinċier lill-wirt naturali u kulturali tagħna, billi jfasslu politika u pjanijiet fit-tul ibbażati fuq principji verament sostenibbli, biex jassiguraw li l-ġenerazzjonijiet ta’ warajna jistgħu jgawdu dak il-ftit li se jibqa’ jekk ma nibdlux d-direzzjoni.
English Version
Serious Environment Concerns
The following group of NGOs and academic bodies, passionate about the health of society and the natural and cultural heritage of Malta, have come together to voice their serious concern at the state of the environment, and the island’s prospects for the future:
1. Nature Trust Malta
2. Din l-Art Ħelwa
3. Moviment Graffiti
4. Flimkien għall-Ambjent Aħjar
5. Professional Diving Schools Association Islands of Malta
6. Grow 10 Trees
7. Malta Energy Efficient and Renewablr Energies Association
8. Repubblika
9. Franciscan Friars. Malta
10. The Biological Conservation Research Foundation
11. The Faculty for the Built Environment
Wrong and Abused Planning Policies
People have lost faith in governmental strategies for our environment, and particularly in the Planning Authority. The PA has repeatedly adopted seriously flawed policies, such as the Fuel Stations Relocation Policy –which is now finally universally acknowledged as wrong, but which, given the dragging of feet for revision by the responsible authorities, is still being used to justify the replacement of a solitary petrol pump, within urban areas, with 3000 sq.m. of speculation outside development zones. The recent approval to allow the doubling of the size of fish farms, that were acknowledged to have already been working illegally – “as long as the same amount of tuna are kept”- is the latest of Planning Authority decisions that render environmental policies a dead letter. These decisions encourage developers to think that anything is possible,- a hotel on the former Flower Power site, houses on archaeologically- sensitive sites, such as Tal-Qares in Mosta, building over heritage gardens in Balzan and Mosta, a yoga hotel in Qala – because often the unthinkable finds favour in some obscure policy. The Government is justifiably flaunting the creation of much needed large landscaped spaces, at Benghajsa and Ta’ Qali, but it seems to brush aside the fact that it has nevertheless accepted, retained and attempted to justify the 2006 Rationalized Development Zones rather than retracting them. Open spaces are under constant threat from development, to accommodate housing units or car parks, or senseless road-widening. Not only has this led to a degradation of air quality, and a declining aquifer water supply, but threatens the mental and physical well-being of people living in a country with one of the higher densities in the world.
Addressing traffic problems holistically
Large tracts of agricultural land (which are still to be quantified) are being tarmacked over under the guise of road-widening projects, with the relative authorities skirting even the need for planning permission, and appropriate impact studies. Such road-widening schemes are short-sighted, since as every driver is aware, road widening simply shifts traffic bottlenecks from one point to another. The issue of traffic congestion is not being tackled holistically. Alternative forms of transport are not being actively studied, and bicycle use is still not being taken seriously in road design. The direction towards free public transport is welcome, but until a modal shift to public transport is made, reducing cars on the road will remain a gargantuan task, and buses will remain an inefficient mode of transport for commuters.
Natural Environment
The issue of invasive species, including both plants (such as the Fountain Grass, Penisetum sp) and animals (such as the crayfish, Procambarus clarkii) is being overlooked; ERA, the main agency responsible for addressing such problems suffers from a serious lack of human resources. The disregard of our marine environment is incredible. The sea is a fundamental part of our economy, not just in terms of fishery resources, but also of recreation and tourism. NGOs applaud the efforts and campaigns to reduce plastic litter, which ends up in the sea. But we are concerned that land reclamation is being promoted as a means for helping the environment; although adopted in other countries, no justification has been made for Malta, other than a proposal to resolve the issue of the massive volume of excavation waste. Given the devastation that land reclamation will have on marine habitats and biodiversity, it would be more appropriate to study the reduction of the need to excavate, or the way we excavate, or even to recycle the excavated waste. We NGO’s remain unconvinced that land reclamation is not a big real estate opportunity for some. At a time when everybody is worried about rising sea-levels, it would be foolhardy to increase land footprint which would be prone to flooding, particularly where exposed to the North East and North West winds.
People have had their fill of pre-electoral flash announcements, which are inevitably short- term, barely sustainable, projects, which will not mitigate the long-term negative impacts on our well-being and our islands. We NGOs urge all political parties, and especially the Government, to sincerely valorise our natural and cultural heritage within truly sustainable and long-term plans and policies, to ensure that future generations can enjoy the little that will be left, unless we change direction.