Download Evidence-based water conservation measures aid the Maltese isles

Evidence-based water conservation
measures aid the Maltese isles
Ensuring groundwater supplies for future
generations
Summary
The Recharging national groundwater reserves project
was a government initiative in Malta. It used rural
development funds to help the islands’ authorities gain
knowledge and provide infrastructure for tackling the
decline of vital groundwater reserves, which represents
good practice in evidence-based climate action for EU
agriculture.
Type of project
Funding
Public sector infrastructure investment
Total project cost € 2 222 000
EAFRD contribution € 1 499 850
Priority/focus area, measure
Type of beneficiary
Resource efficiency
Public water authority
Theme
Duration
Sustainable management of resources and climate
action
Relevant priority or cross-cutting theme: Climate
action
March 2011 – December 2013
Location
Website
Ħal Luqa, Malta
www.wsc.com.mt
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Description
Official project title
Recharging national groundwater reserves
Context and needs
Water is a major factor concerning climate change, with northern Member States experiencing
problems such as flooding linked to increased water levels and Southern Member States
suffering more frequent and more severe drought periods. Mediterranean countries are worst
affected by hotter drier weather conditions and these climate issues are often exacerbated for
island communities, like those from Malta.
Maltese agriculture has been shown to be a key sector for conserving the islands’ water stocks.
For instance, information presented during consultations on Malta’s National Water
Management Plan to 2027 estimated that farmers uses about 19 million cubic metres of water,
mostly extracted from the ground. In comparison, the public water supply services extracted
only about 13 million cubic metres of groundwater for use as tap water.
Agriculture was therefore the focus for a strategic set of coordinated project actions to both help
ensure adequate supplies of irrigation water for agriculture, and increase knowhow about what
needs to be done to properly protect Maltese water for future generations.
Objectives
Led by Malta’s Water Services Corporation (WSC) as part of their efforts to promote wise
water use, this project’s long-term objectives aimed at mitigating groundwater problems. Sea
water and nitrates had been contaminating water stocks to such an extent that the quality and
quantity of national water reserves were threatened, forcing the island to intensify its reliance
on expensive, energy-intense desalination plants for water supplies.
Minister for Water Conservation Konrad Mizzi said, “We are aware that there is need for
concrete action. We want to take steps, not only in the short-term but in the long-term too.
Treated sewage is normally dumped at sea. We will refine it further and create what is known
as ‘new water’. Through this, we can recharge the water being lost to extraction and make it
available to farmers for irrigation.”
Activities
More than €22 million was allocated to the project’s groundwater reviving work on Gozo and
Malta from 2012 to 2014. Much of the RDP support provided infrastructure such as pipelines
for conducting treated sewerage effluent (cleaned to irrigation standards) to the agricultural
areas. Project funds were also used to co-finance the installation of water meters for all
agricultural private boreholes. Although the government was aware of worries about over2
extraction and abuse of water, it did not want to use the meters installed on boreholes to impose
new tariffs on the agricultural sector. The meters were to be used by the WSC to produce data
that could then inform future water conservation strategies.
Results
Project outcomes helped Malta to have a better control on the quantity and quality of
groundwater resources. Thus reducing the need for energy-intensive technologies to produce
potable water supplies. This reduction in energy requirements will help reduce Malta’s carbon
footprint, which contributes to the country’s energy efficiency and climate change strategies.
Other complementary proposals are now being explored by Maltese authorities in order to
further boost the conservation of water by agriculture. These include new government plans for
helping farmers with rainwater harvesting and the possibility to reinstate valleys as water
catchment areas, while at the same time addressing the problem of flash flooding.
Longer-term options involve encouraging a transitional shift towards plant and animal products
that consume less water. This applies not just to commercial agriculture but also to public parks
and private gardens.
Lessons
Evidence-based approaches to water conservation represent good practice for all EU Member
States to follow. They can be particularly useful for helping public authorities to explain the
significance of, and need for, new methods to mitigate negative climate change impacts.
Quotes from beneficiaries/participants
“Climate action is very important for us here in Malta. We live on a small island State with
limitations regarding water and also we have a relatively hot climate. So here in Malta, similar
to other Member States, we are using support from the Rural Development Programme to
mitigate the effects of climate change.”
Marilyn Tanti, Malta’s RDP Managing Authority
“The idea behind the metering of groundwater is to provide a clear indication of how much
water is being abstracted and the metering of private wells aims to provide this figure. The
funding was used for actually giving the farmers the meters and the installation. All of this is
covered by the Rural Development Programme.”
Dr Paul Mucallef, Malta’s Water Services Corporation
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Contact
[email protected]
Additional sources of information, links
www.youtube.com/watch?v=bi3evNmAad0
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