Lecture 90. Malta Case Study

8/9/2019 Lecture 90. Malta Case Study

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Sustainability 2012 1

CASE STUDY

Sustainability in Malta

Economy

Community Ecology

Sustainable

Development

Stephen MorseCES room 19AZ04

Tel (01483) 686079

Email: [email protected]


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Week Date Topic Lecturer

1 8/2 Introduction and Meaning of Sustainability SM

2 15/2 Material Flows SM

3 22/2 Maximum Sustainable Yield SM4 29/2 Ecological Footprint SM

5 7/3 Energy systems and sustainability MP

6 14/3 Economics and sustainability SM

7 21/3 Assessing sustainability SM

8 28/3 Case study: The University of Surrey JD

EASTER BREAK 9 2/5 Case study: Sustainability in Malta SM

10 9/5 Test


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Lecture will:

Employ a ‘country’ case study (island state of Malta) to

illustrate various elements and issues often discussed in

sustainability.

Provides a different context to the institutional case study of

week 8

Will draw together material covered in the other lectures

Illustrate the inter-connectedness of material covered in the

lectures


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Malta’s location – note the centrality in the Mediterranean

Mount Etna,

Sicily, eruption


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Satellite photo – grey areas are urban

3 main islands – Malta,

Gozo, Comino

Total area of just 321

square kilometres (=124

square miles)

Hot/dry summers (mean

35oC) and mild rainy

winters .

Land use


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Land use


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Malta joined the European Union on May 1st

2004 and the ‘Eurozone’ on January 1st 2008

Eurozone (December 2010)


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Source: World Bank

GDP


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Distribution of GDP (%)

Agriculture relatively unimportant ineconomic terms (now < 3% of GDP)

BUT Malta only produces some 20%

of its food needs.

Uncultivated fields of poppy and marigold (Mgarr)

% of GDP % of GDP1972 1973 2002 2003 Trend

Agriculture and fishing 7.42 7.26 2.53 2.46 --

Construction and quarrying 4.93 4.44 3.39 3.32 -

Manufacturing ( including ship bui lding and repair) 24.58 26.48 22.84 22.9 -

Transport and communication 3.34 3.34 6.9 5.97 +

Wholesale and retail trade 15.77 15.36 10.8 11.14 -

Insurance, banking and real estate 4.15 3.7 ˜ 9.24 10.34 ++Government enterprise 4.36 3.56 6.5 5.89 +

Public administration 16.01 15.8 16.32 16.79 +

Military services 6.25 6.12 0 0 --

Property income 7.23 7.39 9.46 8.51 +

Private services 5.97 6.54 12.04 12.66 ++

Total 100 100 100 100


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‘Green’ alternatives to GDP

Environmentally Adjusted EDP and GPI values are not

available for Malta

INDEED

“Luxembourg and Malta do not compile Environmental

Accounts at all .”

68th MEETING OF THE EU STATISTICAL PROGRAMME COMMITTEE,

LUXEMBOURG, 13/11/2008


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Happy Planet Index (HPI; 2006)

Friends of the Earth and the

New Economics Foundation

HPI is a function of Ecological

Footprint (as a measure of

consumption), Life Expectancy

and ‘Life Satisfaction’ (as

benefits).

HPI is thus a measure of

cost:benefit


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Population density (2005); number of people/km2)

Population – steady increase and concentration of population in main urban area

(Valetta etc.)

Population

Seasonal variation due to tourism

Also – issues of an aging population


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Problems related to

sewerage release

Population growth and

urbanisation lead to problems

with handling waste.

Waste


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Land fill on the smaller

island of Gozo (L Cassar )

Waste


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Fish catch landed in Malta

Harbour (Marsaxlokk)

Catch/unit effort


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Atlantic Bluefin tuna

Fish catch landed in Malta


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And these changes do matter

Greenpeace International - Spanish fishing vessel in Malta

Attempts to ban the international

trade in Bluefin tuna fishing have so

far failed


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Maltese 25-mile Fisheries Management Zone

established in 2002 – first of its kind in the

Mediterranean

Seeks to control effort:

- Strict licensing scheme (effort not increased)

- Limitations on sizes of vessels allowed

- Supported by an electronic ‘Vessel Monitoring System’

Source ‘ Establishing the 25-mile

Fisheries Conservation Zone around the

Maltese Islands’ by Matthew Camilleri


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Islands are comprised of

different types of limestone

Geology


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Generates the landscape we see

Azzure window (Gozo)Sheer cliffs (Gozo)

Solution caverns (upper

coralline limestone)


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Wildlife


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Islands also lie on a major bird

migration route (Africa – Europe)


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Water supply


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Mellieha heights and parish church

And buildings


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Construction

Limestone quarry, Gozo (L Cassar)


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Dismantling of rubble walls: Gozo (L. Cassar)

Construction

Use of recycled materials

can also be an issue


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Energy supply

Energy generation is almost entirely by burning oil – all imported

Delimara power station


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CO2 emissions related to economic activity

(chained GDP adjusted for PPP)


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“Wind, solar and biomass waste are feasible

sources of renewable energy for Malta. Other

types – hydropower, biomass (energy crops),

wave, tidal, and geothermal – are not

considered to be feasible for exploitation at

least in the short term for various reasons,including absence or low level of r esource

intensity and/or state of development of the

technology .” (page 10)

BUT - of these, wind energy is regarded as

the “most attractive ” option (not solar!!).

www.doi.gov.mt/EN/archive/prebudget2007/Renewable%20Energy.pdf

Recommends a substantial reduction in

carbon dioxide emissions by 2050.


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Source: Malta Environment and Planning Authority

(www.mepa.org.mt/home)

Narrow streets, high traffic density and

inversion layers can cause problems with air

quality – pressure state indicators

Victoria traffic, Gozo

NO2

Benzene

Air quality


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National Commission for Sustainable

Development (NCSD)

'Jekk tiehu minghajr ma trodd anki s-swar thotf',

“This ancient Maltese proverb warns that unless the exploitation

of resources is backed by replenishment, even the most durableand abundant resource will be squandered to the point of

destruction”.

Dr. Lawrence GonziDeputy Prime Minister and Minister of Social Policy of Malta at

the World Summit on Sustainable Development

Johannesburg, South Africa, 3 September 2002


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www.um.edu.mt/__data/assets/pdf_file/0003/64812/SD_Strategy_2006.pdf

Priorities are as follows (perhaps not surprising given the issues covered in

the lecture):

Ai r quali ty and cl imate change Energy-eff iciency and r enewable energy resources

Biodiversity

F reshwater

Wastes

Marine and coastal environment

Land use Transport

Natural and technological risks

Leisure and the environment

NCSD has prepared a national strategy for

sustainable development (2007 – 2016).


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“The effective monitoring of sustainable development strategies requires

the compilation of appropr iate indicators . Although sustainability

indicators have been compiled for Malta, there are still a number of issues

that need to be addressed, in particular regarding the institutional set-up.

At present, there is no state-funded body entrusted to develop sustainabilityindicators. The work carried out so far was funded from outside sources

and carried out by a University Institute.

There is therefore the need to place the compilation of sustainability

indicators on a more secure footing, with ongoing financial support , so that

it can service the Government and stakeholders who wish to utilise suchindicators.”

(page 65 of report)


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Conclusions

Malta provides in some ways an ‘extreme’ example of the challenges

involved in making sustainability a reality

Many conflicting tensions and pressures at play (Strong vs Weak

sustainability )

Examples illustrates how the various components discussed in the lectures

(MSY, EF, economic growth, energy etc.) come together when sustainability is

considered. Each cannot be considered in isolation.

Note how this is also manifested in terms of institutions and indicators

Also note how many of these issues interface with the interests of engineers


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The Institution of Civil Engineers (ICE)

believes that civil engineers are:

1. dramatically reduce the environmental impact of our life and work2. dramatically improve the environmental quali ty of what we create

3. maximise the utilisation of materials and their reuse

4. maximise appropriate use of secondary and recyled materials

5. minimise waste in design, construction and use

6. minimise energy and water use

7. minimise pol lution from all our activities8. focus on increasing peoples' quali ty of li fe through good urban design

9. ensuring respect for people - showing care towards the workforce and the

surrounding community

" at the heart of society, deliver ingsustainable development through knowledge,

ski l ls and professional expertise."

Lecture 90. Malta Case Study

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