It is poor water management, not bad weather, that is to blame for Maltese roads flooding following heavy rains, the ADPD has argued.

Malta’s green party noted that some laws – most notably that requiring all new buildings to have a well – were being ignored by the Planning Authority and Water Services Corporation, resulting in huge amounts of water being dumped into sewage systems, overflowing them.

The ADPD had already argued this point back in September, when the first rains following summer led to flooding in some areas. 

 “Even though no one can control how much it rains there is a lot we can do to minimise its impact. It’s not bad weather that floods our roads but lack of adequate management of this water resource over many years,” said party chairperson Carmel Cacopardo.

Cacopardo was speaking during an online press conference held on Saturday morning, one day after Infrastructure Minister Ian Borg attributed widespread flooding of roads on Thursday to climate change and extreme weather events.

One month’s worth of rain fell on Malta in the space of just a few hours on Thursday morning, flooding roads, fields and homes and requiring the Civil Protection Department to rescue more than 15 people.

Cacopardo said that the government could not just boast about the millions being spent on Infrastructure – it had to ensure money was being spent well and that authorities such as the PA and WSC were doing their duty.

Traffic slowed to a crawl on the Coast Road - a recently-built road that was flooded following rains. Photo: Jonathan Borg

ADPD deputy chairperson Mark Zerafa agreed, saying that floods had occurred despite several multi-million, EU-funded projects.

Zerafa also agreed with the minister’s analysis that extreme weather was the result of climate change.

“Months of drought are being followed by extraordinary events that damage our agriculture, property and put people’s lives at risk,” he said, arguing that authorities should do more to mitigate climate change’s effects by reducing dependencies on cars and private transport.

Fewer roads, he noted, would mean more uncovered land that could absorb rainwater.