The cost of soil replacement : a Maltese case study

Soil erosion only enters national accounting systems when soil loss is reflected in lost agricultural productivity, or becomes manifest with costs sustained by damage through flooding, siltation of dams, landslides, and other associated phenomena. On islands that are prone to desertification, however, soil loss needs to be better accounted since the costs of soil replacement and rehabilitation are often prohibitively expensive. Circumscribed agricultural space provides the necessary incentive for investment in soil conservation measures and, in certain cases, a long history of such measures results in a wealth of soil retention structures. Soil conservation has been practised in the densely populated Maltese islands for several hundred years. Slope terracing and armouring of the terrace face with retaining dry stonewalls represents a rich resource which has not yet been quantified. Yet the cost of maintaining such soil conservation structures is becoming increasingly prohibitive despite the downstream costs of their eventual failure. Legislation has been enacted aimed at preserving rubble walls since these are now also regarded as a unique landscape feature but well-targeted economic incentives and support infrastructures are crucial in this regard. In fact, the Maltese Government has, over the past few years, promoted rubble wall repairs by creating groups of skilled workers trained in the craft of rubble wall building. Malta's joining the European Union in May 2004 also means that EU funds would be utilised in this regard but this needs careful management. Despite such state initiatives, alternative non-state subsidies need to be identified and this demands the identification of net beneficiaries of soil conservation. The most easily identifiable stakeholders are farmers but the tourist sector and water management authorities should also be enlisted within soil conservation management. Other stakeholders include those sectors that are adversely affected by soil erosion. In this case, insurance companies and road maintenance agencies should also be involved in soil management initiatives.peer-reviewe

The ocean change : management patterns and the environment

Since the 1960s, the rapid development of the international Law of the Sea has outstripped the capacity of most maritime states for developing and implementing policy. The delimitation of the Exclusive Economic Zone (EEZ), which resulted from the United Nations’ Convention on the Law of the Sea (1982) brought about an extension of its area, within which the sate exercise control over all resources and economic activities. At the same time as the jurisdiction of the state has encroached seawards, there has been a significant increase in the range of opportunities for the use of the offshore zone. Until now, the most common approach to managing Malta's marine and coastal resources has been to regulate activities. Thus, regulations concerning constructions on the foreshore, transport of sand, recreational activities on the coast, commercial fishing, control of pollution, shipping and other related marine activities exist. These regulations are not sufficient to safeguard marine resources or to ensure maximal sustainable use. Some regulations are outdated, others are not enforced and different sets of regulations may actually conflict. This situation is not unique to the coastal zone, but it is also true for the whole island. In general, Malta's development has been haphazard and piecemeal and not regulated by any national plan, formulated on the basis of a scientific study of the country's physical, economic, social and cultural characteristics, existing and projected needs and the necessity for maintaining environmental quality. Recognizing this, the Maltese government is in the process of drafting national planning guidelines in the form of the Malta Structure Plan. As a first step towards fulfilling this objective, the Planning Services Division of the Ministry for Development of Infra- structure commissioned a Coastal Zone Survey of the Maltese Islands. As part of this, a survey of the terrestrial part of the coastal zone was carried out over a six-week period from early July 1989 by a joint team from the Universities of Durham and Malta. The output of this survey comprised a report of the survey, coastal land-use maps on a scale of 1:2,500, a series of synoptic land-use maps on a scale of 1:25,000, and a series of synoptic maps on various scales, depicting coastal features of ecologjcal importance. This in the hope of determining which areas are to be preserved and which are to be used for economic gain.peer-reviewe

Soil problems in Malta : addressing current threats through strategic measures

This contribution is meant to provide a brief overview of current soil-related issues within the Maltese Islands. The major threats to the islands’ soil resources are identified and discussed within a geographical/agricultural context. The second part of the paper outlines the most significant measures, which are addressing such issues and discusses some broad outcomes. A concluding section identifies the needs for intervention.peer-reviewe

Sustainable rural land management in the Maltese Islands : an evaluation of policy instruments and future needs

The structure of the Maltese economy is the founding result of its geographic location and limited natural resources, one of which is the agricultural area. Agriculture is a major land user and despite its limited economic size, Malta’s agriculture provide significant basis of the national consumption pattern. Different authorities and institutional bodies perceived the importance of agriculture, as these have developed policies by which the agricultural sector could be safeguarded from urban development and in encouraging in the reduction of land abandonment. The aim of this article is to analyse past and present policies being the PA structure plan (Land use and development control), CAMP (Integrated Costal Area Management), the Rural Development Plan and the Maltese Code of Good Agricultural Practice. However, it recommends a Sustainable Rural Development Program, which gives an evaluation of the policy needed for the future. Such policy could address the ecological integrity, which should minimize and mitigate adverse environmental impacts, ensuring a sustainable use of agriculture as a resource and conserve and protects the rural landscape and land speculation, amongst others. Finally, this paper concludes by questioning if there should be a more consistent, rationalised, streamlined approach to rural land use management.peer-reviewe