Eco-innovation in Malta : EIO country profile 2018-2019

Abstract

As a densely populated island with limited land area and natural capital, Malta faces specific challenges, principally those related to planning and use of land space and the sustainable management of environmental resources (ERA, 2018). These concerns create both challenges and opportunities for eco-innovation especially in the preservation of water resources, the management of waste and improvements in air quality (EC, 2019a; Ministry for Finance, 2019). The steady population rise is mainly attributable to positive net migration and the population density, at 1,495 inhabitants per square kilometre in 2017 is well-above the EU28 average of 117.8 (Eurostat). This is placing increasing pressures on the islands’ resources and in particular on transport infrastructures and water and energy demand. In addition, over-abstraction of ground water, due in part to urbanisation and to uncontrolled extraction, is contributing to poor groundwater quality (EEA, 2018).