Harry’s warning, breakwaters and coastal defences

Marsaskala took a massive battering from Storm Harry, causing widespread damage to public infrastructure and private property that is ostensibly unparalleled in recent memory.

However, the situation could have been much worse had the Force 9 winds blown from the north east—the dreaded Gregale wind that slams directly into Malta’s east coast.

Similarly, Marsamxett Harbour and Marsalforn are fully exposed to north easterly winds as is the Sliema coastline.

Fortunately, Storm Harry left no fatalities or injuries with people largely adhering to official warnings and cooperating with the authorities to minimise the risk to life and limb.

This leader gives a shoutout to personnel from the Civil Protection Department, the Armed Forces of Malta, the police force and hundreds of public sector workers who responded to emergencies and removed danger from the streets as the storm wreaked havoc; and who carried out clean-up operations in its aftermath.

But after the damage from Storm Harry is counted and basic public infrastructure starts being repaired, this country needs to look ahead and act pre-emptively to minimise risks from natural events.

Scientists have long been warning that climatic events will become more extreme and happen more frequently as a result of global warming. Sea levels are also expected to rise.

A small island is even more vulnerable to the impact of these natural phenomena, suffice to say that for almost two days during Storm Harry, rough seas isolated Malta’s ports from the rest of the world.

The time has come for a comprehensive risk assessment to be undertaken of Malta’s maritime and coastal infrastructure with a view of adopting measures to mitigate the impact global warming is and will continue to have.

Lawyer Franco Debono is correct in calling for the construction of a breakwater to protect Marasaskala Bay from the rough seas whenever the wind blows from the eastern littoral. Rather than just hope the next storm does not cause as much damage, the authorities need to step up. Similarly, a proposed breakwater for Marsalforn has remained on the drawing board for years. This locality needs to be protected as well.

And on the same vein, a breakwater should be built to shield Marsamxett Harbour from rough seas that can cause severe problems in areas like Sliema, Gżira, Ta’ Xbiex and Pietà.

These breakwaters definitely come at a cost but they are increasingly becoming necessary to avoid exorbitant costs from damage caused by violent storms.

But this is not only about breakwaters, which are the obvious marine infrastructure required to provide greater safety for ports, inlets and harbours along the eastern seaboard of Malta and Gozo. This is also about the need to look into the future and start developing coastal defences to adapt to the adverse effects of rising sea levels.

Localities like Birżebbuġa, Marsaskala, Msida and other low-lying seaside towns and zones face long-term flooding risks even when the weather is fine as a consequence of rising sea levels. A comprehensive plan, involving engineers, geologists, environmental engineers, town planners, architects and climate specialists needs to be drawn up that includes a series of actions to mitigate the risks to coastal areas from climate change.

Within this context, we need to start asking ourselves whether works being carried out to improve promenades should be more than just regeneration exercises. Is it enough to lay down fresh concrete, fix subsea foundations and restore supporting structures along our promenades without introducing elements that counter rising sea levels?

Economist Clint Azzopardi Flores is one of those voices, who has been clamouring for some years now on the need for more EU funds to be directed towards measures to counter the physical risks of climate change. Indeed, alongside defence and military spending to counter threats from rogue states and individual actors, the EU may need to spend even more to defend itself from the problems climate change will bring about.

Malta, as a vulnerable small island state, needs to take the lead and we hope Storm Harry has provided the wake-up call to spurn the authorities into action. It’s not enough to simply say we will be fixing the damage caused by Storm Harry. That is necessary and more than welcome but a more holistic, multi-pronged course of action is required to ensure Malta’s coastal towns and zones are protected from severe storms and the far more insidious problem of rising sea levels.