Malta is addressing various aspects linked to biodiversity and desertification through the Environment and Resources Authority (ERA) regulated by the Environment Protection Act (CAP. 549).
Malta has declared a number of protected areas, covering 28.5% of the land cover of the Maltese Islands, and 35.5% of our marine waters, which also include Natura 2000 sites declared via the same Act and the EU Habitats Directive (Directive 92/43/EEC). Malta has also established a National Biodiversity Strategy and Action Plan (NBSAP) that addresses measures and actions for the 2012-2020 period, and is actively developing a National Strategy on the Environment that will update the current National Environment Policy.
Malta ratified the United Nations Convention to Combat Desertification (UNCCD) as an Affected Country Party in 1998. Parities of the UNCCD shall implement national action programmes to combat desertification and mitigate the effects of drought. Malta is progressing towards publishing an action program that identifies the factors contributing to desertification and proposes practical measures necessary to combat land degradation and mitigate the effects of drought.
As part of such functions, ERA generates various environment-related data. Such data includes information relating to desertification, in particular assessments of soil erosion, soil quality and land degradation; determines the conservation status, pressures and threats of relevant protected habitat types and species.
The above-mentioned information helps develop appropriate policy and relevant outreach, management, compliance and enforcement actions. The information also helps assess the environment condition that is published in periodic official State of the Environment Reports.
A PowerPoint Presentation highlighting ‘The role of the Environment and Resources Authority in relation to biodiversity and desertification management’ was delivered during the Mediterranean Coastal Erosion Conference, held in November 2018.
