https://www.um.edu.mt/library/oar/handle/123456789/81368 Thu, 16 Apr 2026 00:12:35 GMT 2026-04-16T00:12:35Z https://www.um.edu.mt/library/oar/handle/123456789/107480 Title: Coastal flooding and the business community : a stakeholders’ assessment on selected localities in the Maltese islands Abstract: Resilience of coastal communities is increasingly required to adjust to the effects of climate-change and its coastal-related threats. Climate change is a major global issue that is leaving adverse consequences on the environment, economy, and health of urban coastal lowlands. Flooding risks from both sea level rise and increase in the frequency and severity of storm surges are considered amongst the most threating consequences associated with climate change. This study aims to assess the level of socio-economic preparedness to flooding impacts from sea level rise and storm surges as evaluated and perceived by three selected categories of stakeholders: the business community, local councils, and specialised experts from the government sector. Five coastal towns (three from Malta and two from Gozo) were selected as representatives of highly active commercial zones: Gżira, Sliema, St Julian’s, Marsalforn and Xlendi. Data collection involved 160 business surveys, five surveys with local councils, and interviews with twelve representatives from government organisations. The methods used included the collection of elevation data for each locality and then plotting the businesses’ distribution in relation to their height above sea level. This was followed by a mixed method questionnaire for all three targeted audiences; however, the experts’ interviews were mostly of a qualitative nature. This study shows that there is a knowledge gap about the level of perspectives and preparedness about coastal flooding amongst small coastal businesses. The main finding which emerged from the business community suggests that there are no contingency or strategy plans in place for potential flooding impacts from sea level rise and storm surges, and the risks of driving owners out of business is high. The second key finding was that due to the high commercial activities found in these localities, most business owners remain reluctant to relocate to other areas. From a local government perspective, it was discovered that all local councils significantly lack the resources they need to effectively manage coastal flooding within their locality, forcing them to completely rely on the central government for future resources. From a central government perspective, it seems that all interviewed experts operate within a narrow-defined set of responsibilities and could only answer for their respective roles. Thus, the approach to address coastal flooding is still fragmentary and no inter-governmental or cross-sectorial discussions have ever been concretely delivered to date. These findings call for the need of more triangulation of efforts between the three stakeholder sectors to create a more co-ordinated plan of action on how to address the threat of coastal flooding. Description: M.A.(Melit.) Fri, 01 Jan 2021 00:00:00 GMT https://www.um.edu.mt/library/oar/handle/123456789/107480 2021-01-01T00:00:00Z https://www.um.edu.mt/library/oar/handle/123456789/96423 Title: Investigating the effects of air pollution on subjective wellbeing in Malta Abstract: The relationship between air pollution and wellbeing is observed to be intensifying, as research in recent years report the negative consequences of air pollution on human health. Research has shown that air pollution acts as a threat to the wellbeing of individuals on both the short and long term. Air pollution has been observed to affect several aspects of an individual’s life as it can cause potential nuisance, discomfort and even ill health. Furthermore, increasing rates in both morbidity and mortality are being further associated with this environmental burden. This study serves as an investigation with the aim to identify and explore the extent of air pollution on the hedonic and eudaimonic wellbeing of residents targeted from 6 localities in Malta. Four of these localities represent a rural, urban, industrial and a coastal environment while the other two represent areas with high and low population densities respectively. This allowed for a comparison on both socio-demographic and spatial contexts as these were identified as having major roles in influencing wellbeing. An online survey questionnaire served as the main data collection tool for this study and included three sections that were dedicated to demographics, hedonic wellbeing and eudaimonic wellbeing respectively. Data was processed using statistical tests and these showed that only educational level and civil status seem to affect hedonic wellbeing while employment and civil status have been observed to affect eudaimonic wellbeing. On the other hand, qualitative information showed that each of the localities seem to be affected by the environmental burden of air pollution. The only difference is that the problem is manifested differently Description: M.A.(Melit.) Fri, 01 Jan 2021 00:00:00 GMT https://www.um.edu.mt/library/oar/handle/123456789/96423 2021-01-01T00:00:00Z https://www.um.edu.mt/library/oar/handle/123456789/96412 Title: An analysis of commuter travel time for Gozitan workers in Malta Abstract: This research investigates inter-island commuting behaviour and travel time. It specifically studies gozitan commuters who travel regularly between Gozo and Malta. By comprehending the current situation and studying the performance of existing transport modes one can recognize some attainable recommendations to ameliorate the commute between the island of Malta and Gozo. Primary data was collected through an online questionnaire which was distributed to 350 participants. The analysis of the quantitative data comprised of statistical tests using the program SPSS. Secondary data was collected from different sources, such as, journals, research papers and reports, together with data from the National Statistics Office. The main findings of this research are that Gozitan commuters are classified as extreme commuters while the most popular mode of transport is that of the private car. There is also a relationship between gender and the average travel time of the commuters, which revealed that females have longer commutes than their male counterparts. Another interesting result indicates that travel time activities are affected by the education level of the commuter. The commuters who were investigated, selected the ‘average’ score for all the characteristics of the ferry and those regular commuters using the Gozo ferry classified ‘comfort and cleanliness’ and ‘security’ as their best service quality indicator, whilst less regular ferry commuters classified ‘availability of service’ and ‘information’ as their best service quality indicator. The latest addition of the fourth ferry seems to have had very positive results with the sample of commuters. As regards to the tunnel the sample of Gozitan commuters were against the idea of such an infrastructure. This contrasted with the replies that concerned the introduction of the fast ferry, where the majority of the sample of commuters were in favour of it. Travel time reduction was also a major theme in the semi-structured interviews conducted with the two policy makers. Results from these interviews indicated that with the building of the proposed tunnel travel time would only be reduced slightly, since traffic congestion would still be present. Nevertheless, it remained the most attractive option for a fixed link between the islands. Description: M.A.(Melit.) Fri, 01 Jan 2021 00:00:00 GMT https://www.um.edu.mt/library/oar/handle/123456789/96412 2021-01-01T00:00:00Z https://www.um.edu.mt/library/oar/handle/123456789/81725 Title: Teleworking, commuting and travel behaviour Abstract: The use of teleworking has long been encouraged to reduce everyday travel. While many studies suggest that telework decreases total travel, other studies also now suggest the opposite. Whilst opting to telework has grown steadily in many countries, in Malta; most institutions and business still function in a traditional manner with employees operating from an office or on the premises of the employers. However, in the last two years as a result of the global pandemic, individuals’ lifestyles and work patterns have shifted drastically with many organizations starting to function also online. This study analyses a variety of travel behaviour outcomes as it looks at how teleworking affects daily travel particularly among the staff at the University of Malta. This study examines the impact of home-based teleworking on the number of weekly trips taken by capturing travel behaviour and mobility trends during teleworking days. The results suggest that teleworking reduced commuting trips to and from work but it is not a highly travel demand management strategy. According to the results, home-based teleworking did not decrease everyday travel. Overall, the main conclusion pointed to the fact that the more people telecommuted, the more they travelled for non-work related reasons. Description: B.A. (Hons)(Melit.) Fri, 01 Jan 2021 00:00:00 GMT https://www.um.edu.mt/library/oar/handle/123456789/81725 2021-01-01T00:00:00Z