“Even though no one can control how much it rains there is a lot we can do to minimise its impact. It’s not bad weather that floods our roads but lack of adequate management of this water resource over many years.” This was stated by ADPD – The Green Party Chairperson Carmel Cacopardo in a press conference held online.

ADPD – The Green Party Deputy Chairperson Mark Zerafa said that this week we saw a repetition of major flooding in residential areas such as Msida that in a few minutes becomes a danger zone for all those who travel through. In spite of multi-million-euro projects, many with the support of EU funding, to reduce such occurrences one of potential solutions has been overlooked – that of rainwater falling on roof tops being collected in wells beneath the same properties.

This week’s extreme weather event is a clear example of what is being brought about through climate change. Months of drought are being followed by extraordinary events that damage our agriculture, property and put people’s lives at risk.

Each one of is contributing to climate change. The increasing number of cars on our roads, even if they would all be change to electric vehicles, continue to contribute to climate-change inducing emissions. Instead of developing further our road network a policy that reduces our dependence on private transport is required. This would lead to less agricultural land being developed and as a result nature would be left alone to absorb more rainwater.

A different source of clean energy should also be considered, such as that of wind turbines. It is ironic that some consider these as an eyesore while many haphazard construction developments are permitted across the country, obstructing the natural flow of water as a result creating death traps as happens repeatedly in places like Burmarrad, Qormi, Saint Julians and Msida.

ADPD – The Green Party Chairperson Carmel Cacopardo said that even though no one can control how much it rains there is a lot we can do to minimise its impact. It’s not bad weather that floods our roads but lack of adequate management of this water resource over many years.”

Cacopardo said that we should not now start to blame climate change when many international and local organizations have been warning about it for decades. In spite of the declaration of a ‘climate emergency’ by the Maltese Parliament last year, nothing has been done to better manage the environmental resources(including rainwater) to reflect this state of emergency. In spite of all the talk and empty promises there does not seem any urgency in the action that needs to be taken so that the reduction in global temperature goals is met. Even though Malta is a small country, as an island we will be one of the most impacted negatively if the appropriate action is not taken.

There are laws that are not being implemented. Even if we just consider rain water there has been a requirement for the past 141 years that each building should have a well for harvesting rainwater. A primary cause of the flooding of our roads is due to the fact that a substantial number buildings do not have a well for rainwater storage but instead  it ends up directly on our roads or in the sewage system.

The Planning Authority should ensure that all buildings are meeting this obligation. Instead, it is turning a blind eye. Before authorizing new communications to the sewage system, the Water Services Corporation is also obliged to ensure that such connections only receive sewage and not rainwater.

As a result of being overloaded, in certain areas public sewers overflow into our streets mixing with rainwater during and after a storm. This is not caused by nature but is the result of the gross incompetence of the public authorities.

It is simply not enough to boast about the millions of Euros being spent on the infrastructure. It is imperative that these are spent well and responsibly. Public authorities such as the Planning Authority and the Water Services Corporation should carry out their duties as required by law. Only then will our roads fare better in storms such as the recent ones!

***

Il-maltemp u n-nuqqas ta’ immaniġġjar ambjentali

“Għalkemm ħadd m’għandu kontroll fuq kemm tinżel xita nistgħu nagħmlu ħafna biex nilqgħu għall-effetti tagħha.  Mhux it-temp li jgħarraq it-toroq tagħna imma n- nuqqas ta’ immaniġġjar ta’ din ir-riżorsa ta’ l-ilma fuq medda ta’ snin.” Dan qalu Carmel Cacopardo Chairperson ta’ ADPD – The Green Party dalgħodu f’konferenza stampa li saret online.

Id-Deputat Chairperson ta’ ADPD – The Green Party, Mark Zerafa qal li għal darboħra din il-ġimgħa rajna xeni ta’ għargħar f’żoni residenzjali bħal per eżempju  l-Imsida li fi ftit minuti joħloq periklu kbir għal kull minn jivvjaġġa minn żoni bħal dawn. Saru proġetti ta’ miljuni kbar ta’ Ewro, ħafna minnhom b’fondi Ewropej biex jittaffew dawn il-problemi mingħajr ma ġiet indirizzata dik li setgħet tkun waħda mis-soluzzjonijiet – dak li wieħed jara li x-xita li taqa’ fuq il-bjut tal-bini tagħna tmur fi bjar taħt dan l-istess bini.

Dak li rajna din il-ġimgħa huwa eżempju ċar ta’ temp estrem li qegħda iġġib magħha l-bidla  fil-klima. Qiegħed ikollna xhur sħaħ ta’ nixfa kbira li qegħdin ikunu segwiti b’maltemp estrem ta’ dannu kbira għall- agrikoltura, għall-propjeta’ u b’sogru għal ħajjet in-nies.

Il-bidla fil-klima anke aħna qed nikkontribwixxu għaliha. In-numru dejjem jikber ta’ karozzi fit-toroq tagħna, anke kieku kellhom ikunu kollha jaħdmu bl-elettriku, huma parti mill-kontribuzzjoni tagħna bħala pajjiż għall-emmissjonijiet li qed ikomplu jgħarrqu l-klima. Flok ma nżidu jew inwessgħu t-toroq hemm bżonn issir aktar emfasi fuq politika li tnaqqas id-dipendenza fuq it-trasport privat. Inqas raba b’hekk tkun żviluppata u riżultat ta’ hekk in-natura titħalla tassorbi iktar l-ilma tax-xita. Minflok kullimkien miksi konkos.

Għandna bżonn azzjoni biex ikollna sorsi ta’ enerġija nadifa differenti, bħal ngħidu aħna, enerġija permezz ta’ turbini tar-riħ. Huwa ironiku li hawn minn jgħid li t-turbini jidhru koroh filwaqt li fl-istess ħin qed inħallu kruha ta’ bini bl-addoċċ madwar il-pajjiż kollu, inkluż b’mod li jkompli jfixkel ir-rotta tal-ilmijiet tax-xita bħal fil-widien bħal ma’ jiġri ripetutament f’postijiet bħal Burmarrad, Ħal Qormi, San Ġiljan u l-Imsida.

Iċ-Chairperson ta’ ADPD – The Green Party, Carmel Cacopardo qal li għalkemm m’għandnhiex kontroll fuq kemm tinżel xita nistgħu nagħmlu aktar biex nilqgħu għall-effetti tagħha.  Mhux it-temp li jgħerreq it-toroq tagħna imma nuqqas ta’ immaniġġjar ta’ din ir-riżorsa tal-ilma fuq medda ta’ snin.”

Il-Perit Cacopardo qal li hija biss skuża li issa nibdew inwaħħlu fit-tibdil tal-klima meta ħafna organizzazzjonijiet internazzjonali kif ukoll lokali ilhom iwissu dwar dan għal għexieren ta’ snin. Huwa fatt li għalkemm il-Parlament Malti, is-sena l-oħra, iddikjara ‘emerġenza klimatika’ ma sar xejn biex l-immanigġjar ambjentali (inkluż dak dwar l-ilma tax-xita) jirrifletti din l-emerġenza. Minkejja il-ħafna paroli u wegħdiet fiergħha għadna m’aħniex naraw l-urġenza fl-azzjoni li hemm bżonn tittieħed biex il-miri stabbiliti biex tiġi kontrollata  ż-żieda fit-temperatura globali jintlaħqu. Għalkemm Malta huwa pajjiż żgħir, bħala gżira huwa wieħed minn dawk li l-aktar jintlaqat ħażin jekk ma titteħidx l-azzjoni neċessarja.

Għandna liġijiet tajbin imma mhux ikunu implimentati. Jekk nillimitaw ruħna għall-ilma tax-xita tajjeb li niftakru li għal dawn l-aħħar 141 sena kull binja li nbniet kellha jkollha bir fejn jinħażen l-ilma tax-xita. Parti sostanzjali mill-ilmijiet fit-toroq waqt maltempata bħal ta’ dawn il-ġranet hi riżultat li hemm numru mhux żgħir ta’ binjiet ta’ kull xorta li huma bla bir u li minflok ma jaħżnu l-ilma jitfugħ fit-triq jew fis-sistema tad-drenaġġ.

Hemm obbligu tal-Awtorità tal-Ippjanar li tara li l-bini jkun konformi ma dan l-obbligu. L-Awtorità tal-Ippjanar mhux tonora dan l-obbligu. Hemm ukoll obbligu tal-Korporazzjoni għas-Servizzi tal-Ilma li qabel ma tawtorizza li bini ġdid ikun ikkomunikat mas-sistema pubblika tad-drenaġġ tagħmel il-verifika li l-komunikazzjoni ġdida tad-drenaġġ tintuża biss għad-drenaġġ u mhux għall-ilma tax-xita ukoll. Jidher li lanqas il-Korporazzjoni għas-Servizzi tal-Ilma ma hi tivverifika biżżejjed li s-sistema pubblika tad-drenaġġ mhux tkun mgħobbija b’piz ta’ ilma tax-xita.

Fil-fatt f’ċerti inħawi ta’ Malta, waqt u wara maltempata l-ilma tax-xita fit-toroq ikun imħallat mad-drenaġġ. Dan mhux ħtija tan-natura iżda riżultat tal-inkompetenza grassa tal-awtoritajiet pubbliċi.

Mhux biżżejjed li niftaħru bil-miljuni li jintefqu fl-infrastruttura. Jeħtieġ li jintefqu sewwa u b’responsabbiltà. Jeħtieġ li l-awtoritajiet pubbliċi bħall-Awtorità tal-Ippjanar u l-Korporazzjoni għas-Servizzi tal-Ilma jibdew jagħmlu xogħolhom sewwa. Meta dan isir, it-toroq waqt maltempata jkunu ferm aħjar milli kienu f’dawn il-ġranet.