EU allocates €250,000 for Malta water management planning

The Malta Environment and Planning Authority (MEPA) and the Malta Resources Authority (MRA) have been allocated €250,000 by the EU to implement a project for long-term sustainable management of all water resources, including groundwater, coastal water and inland surface water. Both entities have teamed up with the French Ministry of Ecology, Energy, Sustainable Development and Spatial Planning and with the experts from the International Office of Water to deliver this project.

MEPA explained that it is responsible for groundwater protection while MEPA is responsible for inland surface waters and for coastal waters protection.

The EU funds will be used to prepare and plan measures for the protection of water resources. .

MEPA and MRA will identify and characterise water bodies, analyse pressures and impacts for each water body, and create a programme of management measures. An economic analysis will be carried out to assess the cost effectiveness of each measure. A Water Catchment Management plan would then be drawn up.

Implementation of the plan would help to improve freshwater quality and availability, protect the environment and conserve ecosystems, MEPA said.

"As the country with the smallest freshwater reserves in the Mediterranean, there is little doubt that protection of Malta’s water resources is critical, not only environmentally, but also economically and socially," it added.