An area on the fringes of San Ġwann is to be transformed into a pollination garden, encouraging bees to pollinate and make honey while teaching locals about the Maltese honeybee.

The €300,000 investment will turn what is currently a run-down 1,000 square metres of land on Triq tal-Prepostu into a garden featuring carob, almond and Judas trees as well as aromatic herbs, all chosen specifically to encourage pollination.

Enclosures within the garden will host bees and their hives, making honey while also helping to educate visitors about pollination and its importance in the food chain.

Parks Malta will be assisting the San Ġwann local council in the planting, watering, pruning and maintenance of the flowers and trees.

Honeybees pollinate 80 per cent of crops by carrying pollen on their bodies from one plant to the next, helping them reproduce through the creation of fruits and seeds. But scientists across the globe have warned that bee populations are plummeting due to a combination of factors, ranging from pesticide use to climate change and air pollution.

Locally, the Maltese honeybee is also facing challenges from the twin threats of urbanisation and importation.

The San Ġwann garden project was launched on Tuesday by Sustainable Development Minister Miriam Dalli.

“The plan of this project is to embellish an open space but also give back to the environment,” she said.

San Ġwann mayor Trevor Fenech said the site would turn a dilapidated site into an open space that was often used as a dumpsite into an open space for residents.