Infrastructure Malta planted 8,719 indigenous trees in 40 sites across 18 localities in Malta in 2019, the roads agency said. 

“This initiative forms part of an environmental investment exceeding €1 million which also includes a long-term care and watering programme to ensure that these trees are well established in their new environment during the next few years,” Infrastructure Malta said. “The agency is now working to extend this programme and plant more trees in other parts of Malta in the new year.”

Infrastructure Malta faced heavy criticism throughout 2019 over the hundreds of trees being uprooted to accommodate a number of road widening and upgrading projects around the country, particularly the Central Link project in Attard, which prompted vocal protests. The agency has consistently argued that even more trees were being planted as compensation for those uprooted. 

In a statement on Saturday, Infrastructure Malta said the planting of more than 8,700 trees over the year had followed an invitation to local councils, NGOs and other entities  to propose roadside public spaces and other urban and rural areas that could be improved with new trees. 

Works began in the summer and intensified in the last quarter of the year, when conditions were most favourable. 

While the project had originally aimed to add 6,700 new trees, it was extended to include a further 2,000 following an “overwhelming” response by local councils and other organisations, Infrastructure Malta said. The last few hundreds were planted in the Bahar ic-Caghaq area of Naxxar and in the San Gwann t’Ghuxa area of Cospicua between Christmas and New Year’s Eve.   

More than 30 indigenous tree species were planted, including tamarisk, olives, cypress, European dwarf palms, lentisk, holm oaks, Aleppo pines, myrtle, sandarac gum trees and carobs.

“Under the guidance of arborists and other environmental experts and authorities, the agency’s contractors will continue watering and taking care of these trees for several years, until they confirm that they are established in their new environment. If any of the trees are damaged, or do not survive, Infrastructure Malta will replace them,” the agency said. 

CEO Frederick Azzopardi said the agency would continue working to create safer, more efficient and sustainable infrastructure while contributing to improved air quality and a greener environment. 

“The successful implementation of our 2019 initiative to plant so many trees in different localities is giving people a greener environment outside their homes and workplaces, and along the routes of their daily commutes,” he said. “We encourage local councils and other interested organisations or individuals to continue proposing new public sites where we can plant more trees in 2020 and beyond.”