The proposals on the restoration of nature that were approved in the European Parliament a week ago are only the beginning of a long process but can lead to an improvement in the environmental situation over time. There is a serious lack of awareness about the importance of nature in our lives, that this is fundamental not only for the quality of life but also for our very existence. At a press conference near the diving area in Ponta taż-Żonqor, in Marsaskala, ADPD-The Green Party spokespersons insisted that we must take the necessary action before it is too late.

ADPD – The Green Party Public Relations Officer Brian Decelis said very little progress had been made with respect to the Diving Strategy announced in 2022 despite its objectives with a number of specific actions that had to be taken.

Most concerning is the fact that this sector still lacks an entity that takes responsibility for diving areas with a clear legal powers, that works together with all associations, both professional associations and NGOs with an interest in this sport and the environment of the coast and below the sea in diving areas.

No improvements have been made to ensure the year-round availability of diving infrastructure both at the diving sites accessed from the shore and by means of diving boats. The lack of moorings for dive boats in other dive areas also results in repeated anchoring leading to unnecessary damage to the seabed and wrecks. This lack of proper facilities means a disrespect of the marine environment.

It is useless to make strategies if the action they indicate is not taken, Decelis concluded.

ADPD – The Green Party Deputy Chairperson Carmel Cacopardo referred to the proposals for the restoration of nature that were approved by the European Parliament earlier this month. The main objective of the law is that ecological protection is no longer an academic exercise on paper but is actually carried out. As surveys over the years have shown us, despite the protection laid out in detailed legislation of the European Union, 81 per cent of the protected areas (on a European level) are in a state of dilapidation. It is necessary that this shortcoming be addressed seriously if we want the targets regarding climate change to be reached on time.

Thanks to these proposals, which are an integral part of the European Green Deal, targets will be established for the restoration of ecosystems both on land and at sea. They demand that there is no reduction of green spaces in urban areas.

There is a serious lack of awareness about the importance of nature in our lives and that it is fundamental to our existence. There is a need for the protection and appreciation of biodiversity in its natural environment and hobbies such as diving should be supported.

Environmental damage is having a cumulative impact on our quality of life – on the climate, air quality and food safety.

Where we have protected areas, both on land and at sea, they must not only be safeguarded, but where necessary also restored. This makes not only environmental sense but also economic sense. The European Commission has estimated that for every €8 spent on nature restoration the economic value increases by €38.

While the Government’s project for the creation or restoration of existing green spaces at a cost of €700 million over a period of time is a step in the right direction, it will not solve anything on its own. This initiative will not compensate for the large swathes of agricultural land adjacent to urban areas that are being given for development as a result of the rationalization exercise. It will not even make up for the continuous attacks on Comino with the blessing of the authorities.

In Malta, if we want to implement in their real spirit the proposals approved by the European Parliament regarding the restoration of the ecosystem, we need to start being consistent between what we declare and what we do.

It is good that the Maltese Government in the Council of Ministers on the Environment supported this measure. It is also good the Maltese Members of the European Parliament all voted in favour of the nature restoration law. But now the support for this measure must be translated into concrete action including the protection of agricultural land from the rampant development encouraged by the rationalization exercise approved by the Maltese Parliament in 2006 – an exercise that needs to be struck off the books as soon as possible in order to start reducing the damage.

The proposals that have been approved are only the beginning but can lead to improvements over time. But we need to be consistent in what we say and take the necessary actions before it is too late, concluded Cacopardo.

**********

Ir-restawr tan-natura huwa fundamentali għall-kwalità tal-ħajja tagħna

Il-proposti dwar ir-restawr tan-natura li ġew approvati fil-Parlament Ewropew ġimgħa ilu huma biss il-bidu imma jistgħu iwasslu għal titjib fil-qagħda ambjentali fuq medda ta’ żmien. Hemm nuqqas serju t’għarfien dwar l-importanza tan-natura f’ħajjitna. Din hija fundamentali mhux biss għall-kwalità tal-ħajja imma iktar għall-istess eżistenza tagħna. Irridu nieħdu l-azzjonijiet neċessarji qabel ma jkun tard wisq. Dawn qaluh kelliema ta’ ADPD-The Green Party meta indirizzaw konferenza tal-aħbarijiet ħdejn iż-żona tal-għadds fil-Ponta taż-Żonqor, f’Marsaskala.

L-uffiċjal għar-relazzjonijiet pubbliċi ta’ ADPD – The Green Party Brian Decelis irrefera għall-Istrateġija tal-Għadis imħabbra fl-2022 li minkejja l-objettivi tagħha b’numru ta’ azzjonijiet speċifiċi li kellhom jitwettqu, ftit li xejn ġie nnutat progress.

L-aktar punt ta’ tħassib huwa li dan is-settur għadu nieqes minn entità li tieħu responsabbiltà ta’ dawn iż-żoni u b’definizzjoni ċara taħt il-liġi, li taħdem flimkien mal-għaqdiet kollha, kemm dawk professjonali kif ukoll ma għaqdiet mhux governattivi b’interess fl-isport u l-ambjent ta’ fuq u taħt wiċċ il-baħar f’żoni tal-għadds.

L-ebda progress ma kien irreġistrat għat-titjib u l-iżgurar tad-disponibbiltà matul is-sena kollha tal-infrastruttura tal-għadis kemm fil-postijiet tal-għadis mix-xatt kif ukoll permezz tad-dgħajjes tal-għaddasa. In-nuqqas ta’ rmiġġi għad-dgħajjes tal-għadis f’żoni oħra tal-għadis tad-dgħajjes jirriżulta ukoll f’ankrar ripetut li jwassal għal ħsara bla bżonn f’qiegħ il-baħar u ħsara fuq relitti li jistgħu jiġu evitati faċilment. Dan jitqies bħala sinjal ta’ nuqqas ta’ rispett għall-ambjent tal-baħar.

Huwa inutli li nagħmlu strateġiji jekk dawn ma jkunux implementati b’azzjoni konkreta, temm jgħid Decelis.

Id-Deputat Chairperson ta’ ADPD – The Green Party Carmel Cacopardo irrefera għall-proposti għar-restawr tan-natura li ġew approvati mill-Parlament Ewropew aktar kmieni dan ix-xahar. L-għan ewlenin tal-proposti huwa li l-ħarsien ekoloġiku ma’ jibqax eżerċizzju fuq il-karta imma jkun tradott f’realtà. Għax hu fatt li jirriżulta minn stħarriġ tul is-snin li minkejja l-protezzjoni li tirriżulta minn leġiżlazzjoni dettaljata tal-Unjoni Ewropeja, 81 fil-mija taż-żoni protetti (fuq livell Ewropew) huma fi stat ta’ dilapidazzjoni. Hu meħtieġ li dan ikun indirizzat bis-serjetà jekk irridu li il-miri li jirrigardaw it-tibdil fil-klima jintlaħqu fil-ħin.

Bis-saħħa ta’ dawn il-proposti, li huma parti integrali mill-Patt Aħdar Ewropew (EU Green Deal) ikunu stabbiliti miri għar-restawr tal-ekosistemi kemm fuq l-art kif ukoll fuq il-baħar. Jeżiġu li ma jkunx hemm tnaqqis ta’ spazji ħodor f’zoni urbani.

Hemm nuqqas serju t’għarfien dwar l-importanza tan-natura f’ħajjitna u li din hija fundamentali għall-eżistenza tagħna. Hemm bżonn il-ħarsien u l-apprezzament tal-bijodiversità fl-ambjent naturali tiegħu u  delizzji bħalma huma dawk tal-għadis għandhom jiġu mgħejjuna.

Il-ħsara ambjentali qed tħalli impatt kumulattiva fuq il-kwalità tal-ħajja tagħna – fuq il-klima, il-kwalità tal-arja u s-sigurtà tal-ikel.

Fejn għandna żoni protetti, kemm dawk fuq l-art kif ukoll fuq il-baħar, dawn għandhom jiġu mhux biss imħarsa, iżda fejn meħtieġ irrestawrati ukoll. Dan jagħmel mhux biss sens ambjentali imma sens ekonomiku ukoll. Il-Kummissjoni Ewropeja stmat li għal kull €8 ta’ nefqa fuq ir-restawr tan-natura il-valur ekonomiku jiżdied bi €38.

Filwaqt li l-proġett tal-Gvern għall-ħolqien jew restawr ta’ spazji ħodor eżistenti bi spiża ta’ €700 miljun fuq perjodu ta’ żmien hu pass pożittiv, waħdu mhu ser isolvi xejn. Dan mhux se jikkumpensa għall- wesgħat kbar t’art agrikola fit-truf taż-żoni urbani li qegħdin jingħataw għall-iżvilupp riżultat tal-eżerċizzju ta’ razzjonalizzazzjoni. Lanqas sejra tagħmel tajjeb għall-attakki kontinwi fuq Kemmuna bil-barka tal-awtoritajiet.

F’Malta, jekk irridu nimplimentaw fl-ispirtu reali tagħhom il-proposti approvati mill-Parlament Ewropew dwar ir-restawr tal-ekosistema jeħtieġ li nibdew inkunu konsistenti bejn dak li niddikjaraw u dak li nagħmlu.

Huwa tajjeb lil-Gvern Malti fil-Kunsill tal-Ministri dwar l-Ambjent appoġġa din il-miżura bħalma hu tajjeb li l-Membri Maltin tal-Parlament Ewropew ukoll kollha ivvutaw favur tagħha. Dan l-appoġġ għal din il-miżura imma għandu jkun tradott f’miżuri konkreti fosthom il-ħarsien tar-raba’ mill-iżvilupp sfrenat inkoraġġit mill-eżerċizzju ta’ razzjonalizzazzjoni approvat mill-Parlament Malti fl-2006. Miżura li teħtieġ li tkun ikkanċellata mill-iktar fis possibbli biex nibdew innaqqsu l-ħsara.

Il-proposti li ġew approvati huma biss il-bidu imma jistgħu iwasslu għal titjib fuq medda ta’ żmien. Imma jeħtieġ li nkunu konsistenti ma dak li ngħidu u nieħdu dawk l-azzjonijiet neċessarji qabel ma jkun tard wisq, temm jgħid Cacopardo.