Public Consultation – Significant Water Management Issues in preparation for Malta’s fourth River Basin Management Plan

Start date: 1st October 2026

Closing date: 31st March 2027

Title of the public consultation: Significant Water Management Issues in preparation for Malta’s 4th River Basin Management Plan

Ministry: Ministry for Energy, the Environment, and Regeneration of the Grand Harbour

Entity: Environment & Resources Authority and the Energy and Water Agency

  1. Background

River Basin Management Plans (RBMPs) are prepared every six years in line with the EU Water Framework Directive (WFD), which establishes an integrated approach to water management at the level of river basin districts. In Malta’s case, this corresponds to the water catchment district, as defined under the Water Policy Framework Regulations.

A river basin, or water catchment district, refers to an area of land where rainfall collects and drains into a common body of water, including groundwater, inland surface waters, and coastal waters. Due to its geographical scale, Malta comprises a single water catchment district, and therefore one national RBMP covering the entire territory and all identified water bodies.

The overall objective of the RBMP is to ensure the sustainable management of water resources and the protection of aquatic ecosystems. This is achieved through the establishment of a Programme of Measures (PoM), which targets the most significant challenges affecting Malta’s water environment.

The RBMP covers all water bodies defined under the WFD, including groundwater, inland surface waters (such as watercourses and pools), transitional waters, and coastal waters extending up to one nautical mile. These water bodies form the basis for monitoring, assessment, and reporting in line with the Directive’s environmental objectives.

A key principle of the RBMP process is stakeholder engagement. The development and implementation of each plan involve ongoing consultation with stakeholders and the public at different stages, ensuring a transparent and participatory approach to water management.

The third River Basin Management Plan covers the 2022-2027 implementation cycle. As this cycle draws to a close, Malta is preparing its fourth River Basin Management Plan, covering the period 2028-2033. Documents relating to the previous planning cycles are available through the RBMP webpage, here.

Malta is currently in the process of developing the 4th River Basin Management Plan, which is due for publication in 2027. 

  1. Consultation

The current stage of the 4th RBMP process focuses on the identification and consultation on the Significant Water Management Issues (SWMIs). The primary purpose of the SWMI is to identify the main pressures and challenges affecting the status of all water bodies that the upcoming 4th River Basin Management Plan needs to address.

  1. Document

Significant Water Management Issues in the Malta River Basin District

  1. Submission of Feedback

A public consultation process is currently underway and will remain open for a period of six months. You can send your feedback by email to [email protected] or in writing to ERA at:

Water Framework Directive Consultation

Environment and Resources Authority

Hexagon House,

Spencer Hill,

Marsa, MRS 1441

Consultations are also being undertaken through the official Government consultation portal: www.konsultazzjoni.gov.mt, where stakeholders have the opportunity to send their written comments to a dedicated consultation online form.

Received feedback will be reviewed and incorporated into the drafting of the RBMP, which will be subject to further consultation before its finalisation. The final plan is expected to be submitted to the European Commission by March 2028.

The Energy and Water Agency and the Environment and Resources Authority encourage all stakeholders to participate in contributing to shaping Malta’s water management strategy for the coming years.

  1. Further notes

Please note that all comments submitted may be published online at the end of the public consultation, together with the name of the contributor, unless the contributor explicitly requests that their personal data is not disclosed. In such cases, contributions may be published in an anonymised format.

All submissions will be duly reviewed and taken into consideration.