Malta’s national environmental monitoring infrastructure and capacity has over the past months been significantly upgraded, with the prospect that the improved availability and reliability of information on the state of the environment will enable the development of more informed and better targeted policy measures in all spheres of public policy, including health, fiscal, economic, social and environmental domains, Malta Environment & Planning Authority (MEPA) announced today

This EU funded project, which is in its final months of implementation, has seen the investment of €4.9 million in the procurement of environmental monitoring equipment, information management systems, delivery of environmental baseline surveys, training of staff, and the development and enhancement of the national monitoring programmes for air, water, radiation, noise and soil.

MEPA Chairman, Mr Austin Walker said that, “this project has enabled us to make big strides in improving our environmental monitoring capacity. Once the project is completed later this year, government entities and institutions can start to sustain long term effective and cost efficient environmental monitoring programmes. Together with this, Malta will be fully complying, and excel beyond compliance with the monitoring obligations stemming from the EU environmental Acquis.”

Mr Walker pointed out that the high quality environmental data that is being generated through this project will not remain secluded, but will be made available free of charge on a web-based environmental information system which will allow the public to access quality environmental data for a variety of purposes. Mr Walker concluded that “this will enable us, as a nation, to be more aware of the environmental trends affecting our health and quality of life.”

Dr Saviour Formosa, a member of the MEPA project team, gave a detailed presentation on the technical aspects and the deliverables resulting from the project. An important component of the project is the delivery of 3D terrestrial and bathymetric surveys which will result in a new updated high resolution baseline map for the Maltese Islands within 1 nautical mile from the coastline. These surveys will enable the creation of new nautical charts as well as facilitate land use and marine spatial planning.

Additionally, a new run of orthophotos and high resolution oblique aerial imagery will allow for side analysis of development and environmental monitoring, which will also be employed in parallel with satellite imagery provided by the project.

An important component of the deliverables related to air quality monitoring is the acquisition of an air monitoring mobile station, which will help to address any data gaps resulting from the shutdown of any of the five fixed stations which are used to generate and report data to the EU. Additionally, this station which was delivered to MEPA at the end of last year, will make it more possible for Malta to achieve the data quality objectives required by the Ambient Air Quality Directive.

Moreover, an air quality baseline survey was carried out, consisting of a one year continuous daily sampling of PM10 at Gharb in Gozo, Kordin, Msida and Zejtun and the chemical speciation for metals, ions and polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons.

A soil baseline survey is currently being carried out, whereby 40 sites across the Maltese Islands are being examined. The locations were established following the preparation of a pre-agreed multi-criteria model derived from existing information.

Through this project, the Authority was able to assess Malta’s current status in measuring ionizing radiation and implement the latest recommendations outlined by the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA), including those issued in the aftermath of the Fukushima accident.

A baseline study of radioactive isotopes in Malta’s coastal waters, soils and marine sediments will soon be completed. Additionally, three radiation monitoring stations will be delivered to the Authority. These are capable of measuring gamma dose rate and also detect alpha, beta and gamma radiation in air.

In the coming weeks, the Authority will be receiving new equipment which will ensure that Malta’s obligations with respect to the Environmental Noise Directive will be fully met. The equipment will include hand held sound level meters, a noise mobile vehicle and noise mapping software.

A baseline survey and a long term monitoring strategy for both coastal and inland water in and around the Maltese Islands, up to 1 nautical mile, is also being delivered. The data captured involve monthly water monitoring for a period of 12 months for the presence of chemical substances in water.

The project is also investigating the development of a long-term monitoring strategy for the marine environment, a social and economic analysis of the use of marine waters and costs of degradation, and baseline sediment survey in inland waters.

Welcoming the progress of the project, Environment Minister Mario de Marco emphasised the linkages between the state of our environment and people’s health and quality of life. The deliverables of this project, said the Minister, would not only be of benefit to policy makers and the scientific community, but also to the business community, since the increased availability of quality environmental data will reduce the costs of environmental impact assessment processes, hence the cost (and time) of decision making on major development proposals.

“But ultimately, it is the people, the public at large, who will benefit since the increased availability of quality up-to-date environmental information will enable the people to become more aware of the environmental trends affecting their health and quality of life, and the relation between these trends and human activities,” the Minister added.

Welcoming the progress of the project, Environment Minister Mario de Marco said that the investment in the environment is linked to the quality of life. Minister de Marco said that the deliverables of this project are of benefit to many sectors including policy makers, the scientific community and the business community. The Minister added that ultimately, it is the public at large who will benefit since the project strengthens the environment sector with the data collected being made freely accessible to the public.

The Authority, through this project, also inaugurated a new laboratory which will be used to carry out tasks required by the Air Quality Directive. These include inter-comparison exercises for particulate matter, improvement in data quality and data capture through dedicated instruments for calibrations and quality assurance and carry out investigations into source contribution and dispersion of pollution.

The project, which is being implemented in collaboration with the Malta Resources Authority (MRA), the Department of Environmental Health, the National Statistics Office (NSO) and the University of Malta, is co-financed by the European Regional Development Fund, MEPA and the National Government under the Operational Programme 1 – Investing in Competitiveness for a Better Quality of Life.

Photograph – Marsamxett Grid.

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