How well are Maltese businesses prepared to respond to the growing risks of coastal flooding?

Storm Harry brought intense rainfall and rough seas, exposing Malta’s vulnerability to coastal flooding.

Recent damage to infrastructure highlights the growing risks faced by small island states like the Maltese Islands.

For businesses operating along the coast, the effects of climate change are raising urgent questions, such as how well are they prepared to respond to this kind of weather?

A recently-published UM study, co-authored by Prof. Ritienne Gauci from the Department of Geography, and UM alumnus, Daniel Spiteri, explores coastal flood risk perceptions among Maltese businesses.

In the interview with Newspoint, Daniel explained the central findings of the study:

Main Findings

Using elevation data from 5 localities and surveys with business owners, the study examined coastal flooding risks from future sea-level rise and increased storms.

There was limited knowledge/awareness about the impact of coastal flooding and how climate change drives coastal flooding
All businesses lacked long-term contingency plans to combat this type of flooding risks
Most businesses did not consider relocation as a solution

Coastal Flooding: A Seasonal Issue, or an Immediate Threat?

When the study was conducted, most businesses viewed coastal flooding as a seasonal issue restricted only to winter; the occasional storm was not considered so disruptive to their operations.

Many looked at climate change risks as an issue of a rather distant future, with some mentioning insurance coverages as their immediate response to any seasonal damages.

How did the flooding impact the operations of these businesses?

Loss of revenue & sales
Damages to property, appliances, equipment, goods etc.
Loss of accessibility
Temporary Closure
Repairs
Reduction in operational capacity (particularly tied to outdoor seating in catering establishments)
Overflowing drains resulting in foul smells

On the reluctance to relocate inland

The motivations given were varied and specific to the nature of ownership of the business.

Inheritance of the property
Attachment to the coast as their livelihood and sense of identity
Nostalgia, if they had to move away from the coast
Tourism-generated value of their locality
A strong seasonal market
Location and the power of walking trade i.e. business generated by tourists along coastal promenades
Economic demand of their type of services.

What might accelerate the awareness of the business community about flooding risks?

Storms like Storm Harry will definitely accelerate coastal flooding awareness among businesses, but we need to understand that climate change is turning coastal flooding from a seasonal issue into an ongoing risk.

Projections show storms will become more frequent and intense, increasing damage, disruption, repair times, and revenue losses, while sea-level rise will allow flooding to reach further inland, threatening even businesses that are not directly on the coast.

Policy interventions are needed

Any policy intervention has to start from a nationwide consultation with coastal businesses. This consultation is important to understand their views, their understanding of the threats and their approach to risk management.

This will create a proper socio-economic impact assessment that brings together the different aspects of how the coast is lived and managed by the business community.

At the end of the day, for any policy intervention to be successful, it needs community cooperation, which is vital to achieve effective responses to these climate change challenges.

Read the two-part study online: (1) the 2022 paper and (2) the 2025 paper.