Nature Trust (Malta) welcomes the Malta Environment and Planning Authority’s (MEPA) Environment Directorate’s statement that Option B that Tranport Malta proposed for the Kappara Junction is not acceptable, since this is the most environmentally damaging option considered so far.
The NGO has been managing the ecological site of Wied Ghollieqa since 1990. The area, which once housed abandoned fields, was restored, and a valley habitat was recreated by means of a number of conservation measures.
NTM said that nowadays the site is considered to be one of high ecological importance due to the variety of species’ found there. Hundreds of students visit the valley for environmental educational activities, and the site is also used by several university students. The management of the site has also had a positive effect on the residents of the area, both in terms of air quality and the value of their property.
Nature Trust (Malta) president Vince Attard said, “Heavy development around the valley, the most recent having been the Mater Dei Hospital project, have made the area particularly prone to flooding. Over the years we tried mitigating the problem by repairing the rubble walls and the dam in the valley, to reduce the amount of rainwater that ends up in Sliema Road. Further development, including the proposed road, would only make the flooding problem worse.”
Nature Trust (Malta) said that it acknowledges that a solution for the Kappara Junction is necessary, and that the project may lead to some ecological damage; however, the NGO is convinced that less damaging options can be found. Option A is less damaging than Option B, but other options that the residents are currently considering seem to be even more environmentally friendly than Option A.