https://www.um.edu.mt/library/oar/handle/123456789/15714 Sat, 18 Apr 2026 04:19:57 GMT 2026-04-18T04:19:57Z https://www.um.edu.mt/library/oar/handle/123456789/142471 Title: Place attachment and coastal flood risk perceptions among Maltese business communities Authors: Spiteri, Daniel; Gauci, Ritienne Abstract: This study examines the influence of place attachment on the willingness of coastal business owners in the Maltese Islands to adapt to climate change. Climate change poses a significant threat to coastal communities through rising sea levels and storm surge inundation. The success of future climate adaptation strategies hinges on the cooperation of these communities. Using a mixed-methods approach, elevational data of coastal businesses across five selected localities was gathered to assess their physical vulnerability. This was followed by surveys with business owners and government representatives to understand behavioral factors. The findings reveal that business owners’ strong attachment to the coast is heavily influenced by key socioeconomic factors, including their location’s tourism value, high customer demand, and family inheritance. Despite their awareness of climate-related risks, coastal business owners showed a comparatively lower perception of the threat and no tangible intention to implement long-term protective measures. These results suggest that cultural and economic ties often outweigh rational risk assessments, reinforcing a resistance to relocation. Given the urgent need for a nationwide climate strategy, further research and collaboration among various coastal user groups are essential to better understand stakeholder behavior and develop effective, location-based solutions. Wed, 01 Jan 2025 00:00:00 GMT https://www.um.edu.mt/library/oar/handle/123456789/142471 2025-01-01T00:00:00Z https://www.um.edu.mt/library/oar/handle/123456789/135669 Title: Coastal boulder deposits in the Mediterranean : a comprehensive review of research and findings Authors: Causon Deguara, Joanna; Gauci, Ritienne; Inkpen, Robert Abstract: Coastal boulder deposits (CBD) found on rocky coasts are considered as the result of erosional and depositional processes by waves. These features are often attributed to extreme wave events such as major storms or tsunamis. Interest in their origin has increased considerably in the past 2 decades, especially after the 2004 and 2011 tsunamigenic events. This study attempts to review the literature available on this topic so far within the context of the Mediterranean region. This study shows how the main aims of research evolved from early descriptive works that tried to identify the causative source or event of boulder transport: storm or tsunami, to more specific evaluation of storm-induced transportation events and testing numerical models. Different methodologies used, as well as technological advances that facilitated data collection and observations, are also discussed. Finally, the study proposes future research directions to address gaps in knowledge relative to coastal erosion and identification of coastal hazards from flooding and inundation. Wed, 01 Jan 2025 00:00:00 GMT https://www.um.edu.mt/library/oar/handle/123456789/135669 2025-01-01T00:00:00Z https://www.um.edu.mt/library/oar/handle/123456789/135665 Title: Hunter-gatherer sea voyages extended to remotest Mediterranean islands Authors: Scerri, Eleanor M. L.; Blinkhorn, James; Groucutt, Huw S.; Stewart, Mathew; Candy, Ian; Allué, Ethel; Burguet-Coca, Aitor; Currás, Andrés; Carleton, W. Christopher; Lindauer, Susanne; Spengler, Robert; Boxleitner, Kseniia; Asciak, Gillian; Colucci, Margherita; Gauci, Ritienne; Hatton, Amy; Kutowsky, Johanna; Maier, Andreas; Mata-González, Mario; Mifsud, Nicolette; Niang, Khady; Roberts, Patrick; De Giorgio, Joshua; Xerri, Rochelle; Vella, Nicholas C. Abstract: The Maltese archipelago is a small island chain that is among the most remote in the Mediterranean. Humans were not thought to have reached and inhabited such small and isolated islands until the regional shift to Neolithic lifeways, around 7.5 thousand years ago (ka)1. In the standard view, the limited resources and ecological vulnerabilities of small islands, coupled with the technological challenges of long-distance seafaring, meant that hunter-gatherers were either unable or unwilling to make these journeys2–4. Here we describe chronological, archaeological, faunal and botanical data that support the presence of Holocene hunter-gatherers on the Maltese islands. At this time, Malta’s geographical configuration and sea levels approximated those of the present day, necessitating seafaring distances of around 100 km from Sicily, the closest landmass. Occupations began at around 8.5 ka and are likely to have lasted until around 7.5 ka. These hunter-gatherers exploited land animals, but were also able to take advantage of marine resources and avifauna, helping to sustain these groups on a small island. Our discoveries document the longest yet-known hunter-gatherer sea crossings in the Mediterranean, raising the possibility of unknown, precocious connections across the wider region. Wed, 01 Jan 2025 00:00:00 GMT https://www.um.edu.mt/library/oar/handle/123456789/135665 2025-01-01T00:00:00Z https://www.um.edu.mt/library/oar/handle/123456789/135421 Title: Malta : GIS and geography teaching in the context of educational reform Authors: Attard, Maria; Schembri, John A. Abstract: Malta is made up of three inhabited islands with a total area of 316 km2 and a population of just over 400,000. The population density is over 1,200 persons per square kilometer, making it the country with the highest population density in Europe and one of the highest in the world (National Statistics Office, 2009). This demographic situation is partly attributed to the strategic position of the islands in the central Mediterranean. Figure 18.1 shows the position of Malta as the southernmost boundary of Europe and in the middle of the Mediterranean Sea. The chronological timeline later displayed in Table 18.1 shows the continuous interests for the islands to be governed by a series of occupiers as an indication of the archipelago’s strategic value. However, it was during the tenure by the Knights of St John and the British that contributed to the population growth and the development of the educational system along southern European lines in the sixteenth to eighteenth centuries and along British lines from the nineteenth century. As a result, most Maltese can now speak fluently and write in the native Semitic tongue, in Romance Italian, and in Anglo-Saxon English. Sat, 01 Jan 2011 00:00:00 GMT https://www.um.edu.mt/library/oar/handle/123456789/135421 2011-01-01T00:00:00Z