Malta water resources review

Abstract

The Maltese Islands are densely populated but poorly endowed with freshwater resources. Since the 1980s, the drinking-water supply has been heavily dependent on saltwater desalination. The population and the tourist sector are served with good quality drinking-water, but certain trends give rise to concern: groundwater depletion in terms of both quantity and quality; and a growing dependence on oil imports for water desalination. The public is poorly educated about national water issues and ill-prepared to assimilate information and contribute to shaping the required action. These and other associated trends have raised concerns about Malta’s long-term water sustainability and security. Sustainable water resources are vital to Malta’s long-term prosperity. Water is necessary for drinking and it supports everyday life at work, at home and at leisure. Water is essential to agriculture and to the health of the natural environment that supports all human activities. Every sector of the economy depends on secure and sustainable access to water. Despite the very limited resources of the islands and the importance of water to a healthy future, water has not to date been valued as the precious resource that it is. There are no easy solutions to Malta’s water shortage yet the nation requires water security for the future. Legal and administrative measures need to be taken according to a plan emerging from a strategy, which in turn is the expression of a national water policy. A comprehensive review of Malta’s water resources was carried out in 2003–04 by the Malta Resources Authority with the collaboration of the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations. This review was presented and examined at a stakeholder workshop in March 2004, and was then open for consultation. Comments were received from stakeholders, and adjustments were made in order to address the issues raised. The Malta Water Resource Review is intended to provide a strong and objective factual knowledge base on the status of the islands’ water resources and trends in water use. It is hoped that it will serve as a platform for discussion among stakeholders and contribute to the development of both a national water policy and a groundwater management strategy for Malta.