President George Vella has spoken with concern about overdevelopment and its impact on future generations while highlighting Gozo’s fragility. 

“How can a family enjoy a good life with such threats to the natural environment?” the head of state asked. “How can Maltese youths continue to cherish their country’s national heritage when it is changing in such a drastic way?” 

The president was addressing the annual Ġieħ Għawdex Award ceremony, organised by Circolo Gozitano and held on Gozo Day. 

Malta’s sister island, he noted, is a “fragile gem, forced to withstand pressures from many sides.” 

Looking after Gozo’s environment plays a key role in looking after Gozitans’ physical and psychological health, he said as he denounced the rat race for profit that had come to be prioritised in many cases. 

 “It is good to reach high peaks in culture and commerce, but all this will be lost if it is not embellished by the surrounding environment,” stressed the President.

President Vella has become increasingly vocal about environmental concerns in recent years, warning that development must not come at the expense of Gozo's natural environment and also urging lawmakers to shift their focus from the infrastructure to the environment.  

This year, the Ġieħ Għawdex Award went to Chris Galea and professor Maria Frendo in appreciation for their work within the community over the years. The president thanked Galea for his commitment in favour of life, and in favour of a dignified life for everyone, particularly for the elderly and the sick. He also thanked Frendo for her long career in the fields of music and literature, together with her research and commitment to contribute to the Gozitan artistic calendar on a voluntary basis. 

Prior to the ceremony, the President of Malta and Mrs Vella attended a Solemn Pontifical Mass celebrated by Gozo Bishop Anton Teuma at the Gozo Cathedral. The president placed a wreath at the memorial of Archpriest Saverio Cassar.