The European landscape convention: A huge responsibility

Having signed it two and a half decades ago, Malta last June ratified the Council of Europe Landscape Convention at a time when we held the rotating presidency of the Committee of Ministers at the Council of Europe. It represents the first international treaty to be exclusively concerned with all aspects of the European landscape, applying to the entire territory of the parties and covering natural, rural, urban and peri-urban areas. It concerns landscapes that might be considered outstanding as well as everyday or degraded landscapes.

The concept of landscape, as opposed to nature, is only evident from the moment one realises that it forms one’s everyday environment, that it is part of one’s culture, there and then. Whereas nature conservation tends to focus on species and ecosystems, which are perceived as part of the world outside of us, landscape management concerns us more directly.

Malta’s ratification brings with it a new international obligation, having now to submit periodic reports to the Council of Europe on how it is putting the convention’s principles into practice. For Malta, this means the first report is due by 1 September 2028.

The awareness of this concern with landscape is part of our human development. Participation in landscape development can thus be seen both as a human right and a social responsibility. Not so much the formation of new experts is at stake, but rather the development of human capacity toward responsibility in a humanist sense.

For Malta, there will be problems, challenges and opportunities in awareness-raising, training and education on the landscape as mentioned in Articles 6A and 6B of the convention. Thereby, the basic idea is that those who were and still are in charge of landscape management will have to largely determine the actual landscape based on their awareness and appreciation of it.

Consequently, when today another landscape quality is wanted, an appropriate change in perception and the awareness of the landscape is needed, together with the relevant rulings of the responsible authority. 

But how and by whom are Maltese landscapes regulated?

The Maltese geology consists of rock layers with varying hardness, and subsequent tectonic processes have affected their weathering. These factors have had a marked effect on the island’s geomorphology and produced a remarkable variety of landscapes.

That variety of landscapes is the dynamic backdrop to our lives. Particularly for a small and densely populated country such as Malta, it is crucial to improve the protection of the landscape and increase the public’s awareness about its importance.

Our landscapes have an attractive and distinctive character, and their protection and sustainable management have significant environmental, economic and social benefits.

Yet, landscape protection and sustainable management are currently governed by scattered regulations provided for in the Development Planning Act, the Environment Protection Act, and the Cultural Heritage Act, as well as the local plans.

However, additional legislation is needed to specifically recognise landscapes in law and provide for the designation of competencies, criteria for the assessment of landscapes and the identification of landscapes of particular importance. Furthermore, areas exhibiting features of landscape value would need to be identified and assessed to afford them better protection.

It will be a tall order for Malta. Much environmental damage and destruction have already been caused.

To date, the proportion of legally protected landscapes in the Maltese islands stands at a meagre 33% of total land area.

How many times have environmental NGOs and planning experts criticised Malta’s development policies, pointing to the Planning Authority’s leniency towards large-scale construction, even in rural and culturally sensitive areas, only for such constructive criticism to fall on deaf ears?

Over the years, and particularly during the last two decades, Malta has undergone a dramatic physical transformation. Once known for its terraced fields, limestone villages and sweeping coastal views, it is now increasingly defined by high-rise apartment blocks, construction cranes and shrinking open space.

The landscape of today reflects the way the Maltese government and society have taken care of the landscape.

Accepting this as a fact, we must realise that education and training with special reference to the landscape issue are crucial to whatever improvement of the landscape management we want to achieve.

The message to be conveyed is clear: Landscape is something which needs care and which, seen simply as a commodity good, will inevitably lose its value and also its attraction.

How can this concern be transformed into activities contributing to the responsible planning and management of landscapes? How can methods for landscape analysis and tools for landscape management be made compatible with the landscape demands of society?

One way is the domain of geographers and landscape ecologists, integrating a wide range of natural sciences, and of civil engineers using this objective knowledge to guide their construction and management activities in the landscape.

Another way is to appreciate that landscapes have the power to inspire, captivate and mobilise people, providing the arena within which land use change and development are negotiated and contested.

The convention’s definition of landscape rejects the traditional distinction between cultural and natural landscapes. This may pose difficulties for its implementation, because natural and cultural aspects of the landscape are often seen as separate by Maltese law.

We have three years until we are obliged to submit our first report, but we must be wary of registering poor progress in the convention’s implementation in Malta due to insufficient knowledge of what ratification implies and requires.