The new interpretation centre at Dwejra, Gozo, which is due to be opened later today, has been included in the PANACEA project and will hold a permanent interactive display on marine protected areas.

PANACEA (Promotion of Marine Protected Areas through Environmental Education Centres) is financed through the Italia-Malta 2007-2013 ERDF programme, and aims to promote the sound scientific management of biodiversity in Sicilian and Maltese marine protected areas.

The University of Malta represented by Dr Alan Deidun and the San Lawrenz Local Council are the Maltese partners in this international project. Six marine protected areas in the central Mediterranean are participating, namely, Dwejra (Gozo), Rdum Majjiesa (Malta), Plemmirio (Syracuse, Sicily), Lampedusa and Linosa (Pelagian Islands, Sicily), Ustica and Isola delle Femmine (Palermo, Sicily).

PANACEA said that by housing an environmental education centre within the interpretation centre, the rationale behind the development of such a centre – i.e. that of supporting environmental initiatives at Dwejra – will finally be realised.

It is expected that the centre will be considered as a portal of edutainment, in which visitors (students, divers, tourists, locals) are regaled with a didactic experience through a kaleidoscopic overview of the MPAs living resources through a number of ad hoc tools, including documentaries, interactive tools, permanent exhibitions and models and ecological laboratories among others.

The Malta Environment and Planning Authority said that it has also secured funds through the European Agricultural Rural Development Fund (EARDF) to develop management plans for all terrestrial Natura 2000 sites in Malta and Gozo, one of which is the Dwejra area.

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