Scientific studies show that the Earth is about 1.1°C warmer than the 1800s. According to climate models, without significant climate action, the world is headed for a 2.5 to 2.9°C temperature rise above pre-industrial levels this century. This is well above the safety limits established by scientists. So, do we need to worry about climate change?

A European Investment Bank (EIB) survey found that almost all of the respondents from Malta recognised the need to adapt their lifestyle due to the effects of climate change. A staggering 84 per cent of Maltese fear climate change will force them to move to a less climate-vulnerable place to mitigate the impact of rising temperatures and its consequences. Just imagine the thought of us turning into climate refugees.

With every fraction of a degree of warming, the impacts of climate change will become more frequent and intense. Adaptation will become that much harder and more expensive for people and ecosystems. International scientific studies have confirmed that Malta will be one of the Mediterranean countries most adversely affected by climate change.

While Malta’s impact on reducing the causes of global warming may be minute, we must still do our part to cut emissions. However, more importantly, we must have an action plan to adapt to climate change impact and safeguard people and nature.

In 2015, Malta was one of 196 parties to the Paris Agreement, known as the Global Goal on Adaptation, which sets identifiable goals to reduce the effects of global warming by enhancing resilience, reducing vulnerability, and supporting adaptation actions.

The government must focus more on informing people about the progress of the country’s national adaptation plan. People have a right to know the medium- and long-term strategies for adapting to the changing climate and reducing vulnerability to climate-related risks. We need to understand how our economy, especially the tourism sector, will be affected; what areas of the countries could be most vulnerable to rising sea levels and flooding; and what measures are planned to minimise the effects of climate change on people’s lifestyles and health.

There are, of course, various challenges to building a practical climate change resilience framework. Finance is needed to drive investment in a range of adaptation solutions. The EIB vice-president Kyriacos Kakouris correctly argues investing in climate adaptation should be a top priority for all countries, especially island nations. It is encouraging that the EIB Group is dedicated to supporting Malta by offering funding and expertise to help adapt its infrastructure and economy.

Like many other areas of the public sector, governance constraints are a significant issue. Challenges of coordination among government sectors and lack of specialised knowledge and experience may hinder effective adaptation. Even more important, a lack of urgency to address climate change adaptation at the political level is a major bottleneck for effective action.

This urgency is especially critical for Malta with an inadequate physical infrastructure that is suffering from a rapid increase in population. Educating the public on the way the country plans to mitigate climate change’s effects must be boosted so that everyone feels responsible for doing their part to reduce our vulnerability to climate-related risks.

Signing international agreements on climate change adaptation is an essential first step. However, much work must be done to accelerate adaptation – and education about the impacts – at a national level. 

In consultation with economic and social stakeholders, the government must urgently define a framework and action plan underpinned by solid investment to help the country adapt to climate change.