Going green: What is green infrastructure in Malta?

In a world increasingly aware of the impact of climate change, adding greenery to urban areas to mitigate its effects has quickly moved from fashionable to essential.

Albeit welcome and necessary, isolated natural areas are not enough to combat urban pollution, regulate temperatures or sustain Malta’s unique biodiversity. Indeed, a clear system of Green Infrastructure (GI) is now crucial to link these larger natural zones together, blurring the boundaries between the human and the ecological worlds.

“Green infrastructure is a network designed to link semi-natural and purposely created spaces, so as to support natural processes and reap the benefits not only to our environmental quality but our own habitat too – our hometowns.  Green infrastructure can help reverse our environmental impact,” explains Michelle Borg, Unit Manager at the PA’s Green and Blue Development, which seeks to promote sustainability within spatial planning.

“GI creates corridors that make room for nature ‘to travel’ into our urban areas and connect us to the countryside. Isolated green spaces need these corridors to create a flow from one to the other, allowing living organisms to move between them unhindered.  What is witnessed here is the micro equivalent of the great wildebeest migration that annually takes place across the major river between Tanzania and Kenya. By compartmentalising nature, squeezed solely into single pockets – and not providing a bridge between them through GI – we risk losing species that are part of our natural heritage even to the detriment of global biodiversity.”

Meanwhile, as Malta’s towns and cities continue to grow and develop, disregarding GI as a vital part of the process may also have serious long-term consequences for humans and the lifestyle to which we have become accustomed.

“Eliminating greenery in favour of built-up areas means less natural drainage, resulting in flooding during the rainy seasons and potentially causing damage to property. It could also increase the payload on Malta’s electricity network, particularly during summer when people have little choice but to rely on air conditioners to stay cool,” continues Ms Borg. “These are only some of the economic effects of a lack of GI. Studies show that we may also feel the impact of reduced access to nature on our mental wellbeing.”

In fact, GI provides multiple ecological, social, health and economic benefits. Although the initial financial cost may be higher when compared to traditional grey infrastructure such as pipes, concrete seawalls or road systems, introducing nature-based solutions in the mix for infrastructure provision could pay economic dividends in the long-term. Greater access to greenery in urban environments offers more choice for how people can escape the summer heat, provide space for interaction, while also encouraging them to enjoy the health and wellbeing benefits of walking instead of travelling everywhere by car.

Yet, effective GI demands a mindset change from people, as much as it does in project design. “As a nation, it is vital to understand the importance of contributing to these green corridors as individuals. By installing green roofs or walls, tending a private garden or even adding pot plants to a balcony, with some thought, we can collectively preserve our local natural habitat and biodiversity, while enjoying better insulation inside the home throughout the year and boosting the wellbeing of the whole community. Likewise, if more individual homes, business hubs and public buildings incorporate more greenery, the whole locality becomes more attractive for residents and visitors alike, and may even raise property prices.”

Integrating the views of the population and other stakeholders, specific elements of GI already feature in national policies and strategic documents such as the National Environment Policy (NEP), Malta’s National Biodiversity Strategy and Action Plan (NBSAP) and the Strategic Plan for the Environment and Development (SPED). However, Ms Borg explains that GI needs further development to sow the seeds of a greener future in Malta.

“To increase the uptake of GI in Malta we need projects across the island to actively incorporate it into their design, not merely to provide greenery for its own sake, but as an alternative option to support the operation of a project in terms of energy efficiency, water management and even in support of improving the neighbourhood’s amenity value. The pandemic gave us all a greater appreciation for the outdoors, so now is the ideal time to bring nature closer to home, however we can. We must challenge a culture that merely recognises the value of land for its development potential and work together towards greener urban spaces, where both humans and nature can thrive in collaboration for many years to come,” Ms Borg concludes.

More information about Green Infrastructure and how you can green your space can be accessed via https://era.org.mt/investing-in-the-multi-functionality-of-green-infrastructure-gi-an-information-document-to-support-gi-thinking-in-malta/