BoV completes support of Ramla l-Hamra project

Between last December and April, a total of 1,950 trees and shrubs were planted at Ramla l-Hamra and a drip irrigation system was set in place in most of the area for plants to be watered on a weekly basis.

Access points were sealed to prevent illegal vehicular access to the beach and organic waste at Ramla is being reused as fodder by a local farmer, Gaia Foundation executive director Rudolf Ragonesi recently announced at a presentation ceremony of Bank of Valletta's final payment under its sponsorship of the Integrated Coastal Zone Management Project.

The Ramla l-Hamra Management Plan was sponsored by Bank of Valletta as part of the bank's Millennium Project, which included the sponsorship of two other projects, namely the restoration of the Christ the King monument in Floriana and a group of armours at the Palace Armoury in Valletta.

Speaking to George Portanier, chairman of the BoV Millennium Committee, during a visit of the BoV Millennium Committee members to Ramla Bay, Dr Ragonesi explained how, way back in spring and summer 2000, a plan was drawn up to cover the implementation strategy for the management of the Ramla l-Hamra site.

Besides protecting those areas of ecological, archaeological and scientific importance by minimising the exposure to humans, the project sought to integrate human activity in a controlled manner by promoting environmental awareness and protection with the consideration for public use and appreciation.

The project entailed the placing of a number of signs along the sand dunes, informing the public of their protected status, the employment of a part-time warden on site to disseminate information about the site and to provide site maintenance and security, the introduction of safety lines in the bay to assist bathers in rough weather, which caused dangerous and often fatal underwater currents, and the installation of billboards containing information on Gaia's initiatives to conserve the nature of the site.