“Funds from the 2019 budget should be allocated towards the protection and restoration of our natural heritage, thereby safeguarding this heritage for future generations,” said Nature Trust – FEE Malta.

In a statement it said that, “this will also help to promote ecotourism, trekking tourism for economic reasons and the conservation of green open spaces for the benefit of society in general.”

The NGO added that “with the ongoing increase in urbanisation and development, at least part of the taxes from this industry should go towards the conservation of all ecological important sites in our Islands.”

This will also help to increase Malta’s work on reaching the Sustainable Development Goals, particularly those relating to the environment, said NTM.

“The conservation of natural sites could also contribute to a better quality of air and help to mitigate climate change,” said the NGO. “Direct conservation of a natural area is economically more feasible than investing in reforestation and afforestation projects as biotic communities would already be established in the area.”

“Issues such as waste management have been given attention in national budgets year after year, and, while this is a positive situation, other issues need to be addressed,” said NT-FEE Malta.

It pointed out that for the last two decades, the construction and demolition industry has contributed a total of approximately 80% of waste in the Maltese Islands. “Sadly, twenty years later, the situation is still the same and the government could apply the polluter pays principal to this industry or address it immediately.”

The NGO also said that it feels that with the increase of cars, air quality in our islands is getting worse. “Rather than widen roads, a long term solution should be proposed made of incentives and more environmentally friendly modes of public transport proposed.”

A modal shift in transport may address Malta’s car culture and may also help to address the nation’s health issues, said NTM.

The NGO went on to say that, “our islands’ biodiversity needs a break from all external pressures and, at the time when the local economy is booming, one must not forget that the environment is a major pillar of sustainable development, together with society and economy.”

NT-FEE Malta concluded that “by focusing entirely on economic sustainability, at the expense of the environment, this is not a long term solution. ”

Photograph: Alain Salvary

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