A national approach to protect the Maltese Islands’ biodiversity

Abstract

Biodiversity is being threatened and the need for legislation was felt. In response to this, the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) particularly SDG15.5 which is to take urgent and significant action to reduce the degradation of natural habitats and halt the loss of biodiversity, were adopted. The focus of this dissertation is to understand the Maltese Islands’ progress in this regard and it aims to answer the research question “What action is being taken in the Maltese Islands to achieve SDG15.5?” A mixed methodology consisting of questionnaires disseminated through social media to the general public and interviews with policymakers to get a deeper insight on the subject was adopted. Results for both collection tools were evaluated and compared using thematic analyses. All respondents remarked that notwithstanding the fact that several legal instruments are in place, enforcement is lacking. Hence it was concluded that Malta will not achieve SDG15.5 by 2030 and little action is being taken to remedy this. A number of recommendations by the researcher can guide public administration in a holistic way to improve the situation. These can also help in decision-making to have multi-level commitment leading to halt the loss of biodiversity and conserve it.