Thursday, June 7, 2012

Malta adapting to ease the impact of flooding and drought

Malta Independent: Malta’s water policy includes the aim to adapt to climate change and ease the impact of flooding and drought, Resources Minister George Pullicino told a news conference to mark World Environment Day.

Other aims are to meet the demand for drinking water, for agriculture and for industry; sustainable management of the resource; protection against pollution; and a just allocation of the resource through regulation.

He said the water quality over the last years has improved. Underground water extraction has declined while reverse-osmosis water production has increased, to improve the water quality.

Infrastructural improvements, such as pipe replacements, meters installation, intelligent system in pressure control, and leakage detection has led to drastically less water being lost through the system, from 1,000m3 per hour in 2004, to 460m3 per hour in 2010.

There is more rainwater collection, Mr Pullicino said. A unit has been set up to see to the maintenance and cleaning of valleys and water reservoirs. Clean-ups during the summer months yield some 20,000 tonnes of waste. Over 200,000 cubic metres of water are stored from valleys and reservoirs. A flood-easing project which will cost €56 million will see the tripling of the amount of rainwater storage or water being added to groundwater, with the project having the potential of collecting some 700,000 cubic metres of rainwater...

A vineyard in the foreground, Mdina, Malta behind, shot by Picman, public domain

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