https://www.um.edu.mt/library/oar/handle/123456789/149009 2026-10-13T12:53:13Z 2026-10-13T12:53:13Z Formosa, Saviour Cassar, Vincent Fabri, Stephanie Farrugia, Kurt Formosa Pace, Janice Gauci, Suzanne Sinagra, Emmanuel https://www.um.edu.mt/library/oar/handle/123456789/149406 2026-10-02T05:36:43Z 2026-01-01T00:00:00Z

Title: Custodia terrae : a decade of safeguarding Malta’s natural future Authors: Formosa, Saviour; Cassar, Vincent; Fabri, Stephanie; Farrugia, Kurt; Formosa Pace, Janice; Gauci, Suzanne; Sinagra, Emmanuel Abstract: Table of Contents:; - Prologue : a decade of change as a stepping stone for the future - Vincent Cassar;; - Executive thought : an environmental agency in a modern era - Kevin Mercieca;; - Introduction: conceptualising change and the environment - Saviour Formosa, Vincent Cassar, Stephanie Fabri, Kurt Farrugia, Janice Formosa Pace, Suzanne Gauci, Emmanuel Sinagra; - Posidonia oceanica banquettes as indicators of plastic pollution and tools for coastal management in Malta - Tosin Samuel Afeniforo, Joseph A. Borg;; - Multilateralism and environmental governance – the importance of ERA’s role on the international stage - Charlene Smith;; - The Proactive Interface of Environmental Evidence and Strategic Environmental Policy: From Assessment to Action - Gabriella Dalmas, Nadia Suda Lanzon, Noelle Debono, Suzanne Gauci;; - Protecting Mare Nostrum: Essential To Safeguard Malta’s Marine And Coastal Environment - Franck Lauwers, Marc’ Andrea Cassar, Christopher Cousin, Nadine Mercieca, Miraine Rizzo;; - Innovating Environmental Decision-Making With Emerging Geospatial Technology - Lisa Marie Aquilina;; - Shaping Malta’s Environmental Awareness & Promoting Participation: A Decade Of Strategic Engagement - Suzanne Gauci, Shaun Baron, Gabriel Aquilina;; - Revisiting Gozo’s Landscape Quality Objective in light of ERA’s remit and the European Landscape Convention - Stephanie Debattista;; - Towards A 2050 National Strategy For Malta’s Environment - Stefano Miceli, Sanja Pokrajac, Nadia Suda Lanzon, Claire Cordina Borg;; - Strengthening Environmental Governance: A Decade of the Regulatory Affairs Directorate - Chantelle-Marie Dimech, Nathalie Ellul, Christine Tanti, Claudio Toscano;; - A Decade of Jurisprudence - Paula Axiak, Aimee Brincat, Marienne Zammit;; - Protecting the Morphing Coast: Anticipatory Governance with Chronological Digital Twins - Tram Nguyen, Frank Farrugia, Janice Formosa Pace, Dylan Seychell, Saviour Formosa;; - University of Malta OAR Publications Aligned to ERA Themes and Regulatory Domains - Janice Formosa Pace, Stephanie Fabri, Kurt Farrugia, Saviour Formosa;; - Epilogue : Shaping Malta’s Environmental Future - Suzanne Gauci;; - Colour Imagery

2026-01-01T00:00:00Z Cassar, Vincent https://www.um.edu.mt/library/oar/handle/123456789/149402 2026-10-02T05:37:04Z 2026-01-01T00:00:00Z

Title: Prologue : a decade of change as a stepping stone for the future Authors: Cassar, Vincent Abstract: A decade is long enough to permit genuine reflection and look back at decisions taken, and then, perhaps short enough to retain the energy and urgency of an organisation that is always evolving into a newer, or fuller shape.; The Environment and Resources Authority is, in the longer arc of Maltese environmental governance, a ‘young’ institution, at least in the context of its 2016 demerger from what was back then the Malta Environment and Planning Authority. In terms of institution building, this youth is no limitation. Indeed, I would argue that it is precisely what makes this moment worth examining with care.; ERA emerged in 2016 from a deliberate separation of environmental governance from spatial planning. The logic was sound: that protecting the environment requires a dedicated institutional voice, one not subordinated to the competing pressures of development or economic growth, or even administrative convenience. Today ERA functions in full knowledge that the principle, that the environment deserves its own champion within government, is the foundation on which everything else rests. [extract]

2026-01-01T00:00:00Z Mercieca, Kevin https://www.um.edu.mt/library/oar/handle/123456789/149398 2026-10-02T05:37:40Z 2026-01-01T00:00:00Z

Title: Executive thought : an environmental agency in a modern ERA Authors: Mercieca, Kevin Abstract: Ten years ago, the Environment and Resources Authority came into being not simply as a successor to a previous institution, but as a deliberate act of policy design. The demerger of the Malta Environment and Planning Authority in 2016 was a recognition that environmental governance had grown sufficiently complex, and consequential, and again sufficiently distinct in character, to warrant a dedicated national regulator. What followed was a decade of institution-building that this volume, in part, attempts to document.; As Chief Executive, my perspective on this decade is inevitably operational. This book’s chapters trace important themes, but my daily reality and those of ERA’s directors is the machinery behind them: our staff, the authority’s systems, the legislative instruments which ERA plays a crucial role in developing, the reporting obligations, and the sheer breadth of a remit that continues to expand. Comprehensive as this volume might be, it can only illuminate selected facets of what ERA does. The full picture, as evident from our wide array of experts and dedicated staff members, is wider still. [extract]

2026-01-01T00:00:00Z Formosa, Saviour Cassar, Vincent Fabri, Stephanie Farrugia, Kurt Formosa Pace, Janice Gauci, Suzanne Sinagra, Emmanuel https://www.um.edu.mt/library/oar/handle/123456789/149396 2026-10-02T05:37:49Z 2026-01-01T00:00:00Z

Title: Introduction : conceptualising change and the environment Authors: Formosa, Saviour; Cassar, Vincent; Fabri, Stephanie; Farrugia, Kurt; Formosa Pace, Janice; Gauci, Suzanne; Sinagra, Emmanuel Abstract: Over the past decade, the Environment and Resources Authority (ERA) has established itself as a central pillar of Malta’s environmental governance framework following its formation in 2016. Through the development of structured regulatory processes, strengthened compliance mechanisms, and alignment with European Union directives, ERA has significantly enhanced the institutional capacity required to manage environmental resources within a rapidly evolving national context. Its role has been particularly important in ensuring that environmental considerations are increasingly embedded within policy, permitting, and monitoring systems, contributing to a more coherent and transparent approach to environmental management.; In operational terms, ERA’s work has yielded notable progress across several key domains. Advancements in waste management policy, biodiversity protection, and environmental monitoring have been supported by improved data collection, reporting standards, and public engagement initiatives. The expansion of protected areas and the increased emphasis on ecosystem conservation reflect a growing commitment to safeguarding Malta’s natural heritage, while awareness campaigns and stakeholder outreach have fostered a stronger culture of environmental responsibility. These developments indicate a gradual but meaningful shift from fragmented environmental practices towards more integrated and evidence-based approaches. [extract]

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