Perspectives on landscapes

Abstract

The landscapes of the Maltese Islands are a fundamental component of the country's heritage, forming a crucial aspect of the identity of the country and of its people. The Islands' biogeographic characteristics. combined with the country's rich history and cultural fabric, come together to produce landscapes which are distinctive, and which make the Maltese Islands different and recognizable. At the same time, landscapes are inherently dynamic. constantly evolving over time, in response to changes in both nature and society. Increasingly. however, there is growing concern about the nature and rate of change of landscapes, with trends towards unrestrained urbanization and the homogenization of landscapes across Europe, with a resultant loss of sense of place. It is precisely this situation that the European Landscape Convention seeks to rectify. The European Landscape Convention, which marks its ten year anniversary in 2010, innovatively calls for a suite of protection. planning and management measures to cover all landscapes and seascapes. It addresses natural and cultural features within a holistic landscape framework. and underlines its goal of safeguarding landscape quality, linking this with human quality of life. Malta signed the Convention in 2000, but has as yet not ratified it. Whilst landscapes are indeed a fundamental component of our heritage, they are also perhaps not yet adequately appreciated as such. A first step towards eventual ratification and implementation of the Convention thus needs to be the development of an appreciation of the country's landscape heritage. This publication has been developed with this aim in mind. It leads on from a seminar and workshop held in November 2008 on the subject of Maltese landscapes. Both the seminar and workshop event, as well as this publication have been made possible through the financial support of the Maltese National Commission for UNESCO. This volume brings together contributions from various authors. combining specific perspectives concerning the Maltese Islands with general concepts and tools for landscape protection. planning and management. Whilst promoting the uniqueness of our landscape heritage. we must also seek to learn from experiences elsewhere. We hope that this publication will serve as a first step towards the development of a healthy Maltese landscape conscience.