The environment’s contribution for neighbourhood liveability and wellbeing in the Maltese islands

Abstract

The Environment Protection Act (Cap. 549) defines the environment as including the natural and man-made elements and conditions of the air, water, land, soil and sea, layers of the atmosphere, biodiversity and landscape (Government of Malta, 2019). In the process of protecting our environment, and as part of its remit, the Environment & Resources Authority (ERA), drafted the National Strategy for the Environment (NSE). The NSE aims to provide a strategic policy for Malta’s environment until 2050 by protecting the environment, and improving our quality of life, based on the recognition that the environment is essential for the existence of society itself, whilst creating economic activity to ensure sustainability (ERA, 2022 and 2020). Underpinned by the concept of sustainability, the NSE posits that the environmental, social and economic dimensions are considered in tandem, in the recognition of the value that each contributes to the balance and healthy maintenance of society and the wellbeing of people.