Study to be held to consider Dwejra as Unesco Heritage Site

by Gozo News · February 9, 2017

Minister for Sustainable Development, the Environment and Climate Change José Herrera has launched the committee for the selection of sites to be included as World Heritage Sites or National Geoparks

Dwejra in Gozo and Majjistral Park are among the sites that will considered for the first time as a World Heritage Site or National Geoparks.

To this end, the Government said that it has allocated €200,000 for studies to be carried out by a steering group chaired by Professor Henry Frendo. This is the first time that the Government has carried out such an initiative.

To date the only the UNESCO heritage sites on the islands are those of Valletta and several neolithic temples located around Gozo and Malta.

Minister Jose Herrera explained that the members of the committee were given a term of three years to carry out such studies.

Apart from Professor Frendo, who gave a short address praising this initiative, as well as thanking the Minister for believing in the project, the other members are: Catherine Tabone, Claudio Maria Marciano Di Scala, Frank Zammit, Dr Nathaniel Cutajar, Edward Gilson and Yanica Sammut who will be the Secretary.

The Minister explained that the work of this Committee will be primarily to identify and recommend areas or natural parks with geological features that promote world culture and support local communities to be included in the UNESCO Global Geoparks Network. Upon doing so, the Committee will monitor the development of the first site to be listed as a Geopark by UNESCO.

He further explained that the Committee would also explore the possibility to recommend further sites that can be included as UNESCO World Heritage Sites.