Carmel Cacopardo

Malta does not have a national geological service. We lack a national authority equipped with accurate knowledge of the geology of the Maltese islands. A national geological authority is essential if we are to plan adequately in a multitude of areas.

Accurate geological knowledge is essential in the management of natural resources such as, water, fossil fuels and mineral deposits. A knowledge of geological processes is crucial to understand and mitigate various environmental issues as well as the impact of potential hazards such as coastal erosion, landslides and earthquakes. Geological information is also essential in civil engineering projects large and small.

Notwithstanding all this, Malta has no national geological service. This means that the geological information fed into the design process of civil engineering projects may not always be adequate. This could result in cost overruns, but it could also lead to disasters, including loss of life.

A case in point was the Enemalta Tunnel excavated between the Marsa power station and the Delimara power station some years ago. The project had a cost overrun of 100 percent as a result of rock collapse along several points of the tunnel. This had occurred due to inadequate geological information fed into the design process.

You can well imagine the consequences if this were to occur in the Malta-Gozo undersea tunnel, currently on the back burner. It could also happen in one of the metro tunnels which are being proposed, if the design process is not fed adequate geological information.

Even in instances where detailed geological studies are available, one does encounter the unpredictable. For example, in the drilling of the Channel Tunnel linking Folkestone in Kent and Coquelles near Calais, at points, the drilling of the tunnel had to be deviated as a result of encountering unpredicted geological formations.  This notwithstanding the detailed geological studies underpinning the Channel Tunnel planning.

Simply extracting core samples is not enough. We need the input of geologists to have a geological model of the site that is to be excavated or tunnelled through. This is the approach adopted in countries where the profession of the geologist is recognized.

The above illustrates adequately as to why a National Geological Service is urgently required. It needs to be the authority which advises and directs on all issues of geology. Currently, I am informed that, we only have access to small bits of information. This results from information made use of by British military engineers when Malta was still a colony and a military base.  The information is also hopelessly out-of-date.

I am informed that Malta is the only European country without a central geological authority. This leaves the civil engineering/construction industry, urban planning, environment protection, water authorities and mineral extraction operators without access to a basic service, essential in this day and age.

ADPD’s electoral manifesto published one week ago takes note of the above and proposes the setting up of a National Geological Service as an essential service which has long been ignored.

On its own this is not enough. It needs to be run by properly trained geologists recognised by the state through the award of warrants to practice as professional geologists.

Warranted geologists must be involved in the geological evaluations required for a multitude of purposes. They must also be represented on the national bodies where input from a professional geologist is essential. One such place which, currently, for some unexplained reason excludes geologists is the Building Construction Authority (BCA). The Board of the Authority as established by article 11 of the Building and Construction Authority Act includes an architect and civil engineer (perit), a lawyer and an engineer but no geologist.  Another case of short-sightedness by a government which does not care and only pays lip-service.

Setting up the National Geological Service will take considerable time and energy. We need to take the plunge urgently.

Finally, the geologist must take up his proper place alongside the other professionals if the building construction industry is to be properly regulated.

published in The Malta Independent on Sunday: 17 May 2026