Din l-Art Helwa launch ‘Save the Countryside’ campaign

Din l-Art Helwa launch a campaign to inspire people to take action to conserve the Maltese countryside in light of 'over-development'

Din l-Art Helwa have launched a new campaign called Save the Countryside (Kampanja ghall- Kampanja) that is intended to inspire people to take action to conserve the Maltese countryside and its biodiversity it sustains.

The campaign will seek to raise public awareness of the importance of the countryside and the threats to biodiversity through the over-development of the countryside and the destruction of habitats and ecological corridors. It is part-financed by the EEA Grants NGO Malta Programme for 2009-2014.

“Biodiversity loss is a growing problem,” Din l-Art Helwa said in a statement. “Malta’s countryside is threatened by the conversion of natural areas for other uses, such as housing, roads, industry and the expansion of urban areas. There is a need for more political will to seriously tackle the issue. More action is also needed against illegal building in the countryside, illegal dumping, and illegal hunting or trapping.”

“A wide variety of native and endemic species of plants and animals, as well as natural habitats, make up the biological diversity of the Maltese Islands. Biodiversity plays an integral role in sustainable development and is central to a healthy environment.”

The environmental NGO warned that Malta’s ecosystems are being degraded due to man-made pressures, such as construction on virgin land and pollution.

‘Save the Countryside’ will be an internet-based campaign that will engage with its audience through a Facebook page that has already amassed over 2000 ‘likes’. It will also include a public survey and a student debate, and Din l-Art Helwa will present a policy document to the government.

“Our natural heritage includes many plants and animals and their diverse habitats. They depend upon the countryside to survive,” Din l-Art Helwa said. “The countryside also provides scenic beauty and educational benefits to Maltese society. What is left of our countryside is beautiful and precious. Let’s protect it for future generations.” 

Last week, all six serving and former Din l-Art Helwa presidents wrote a joint open letter to Prime Minister Joseph Muscat, expressing deep concern at the current state of the environment and the government’s plans for the future.

In their letter, the six presidents – judge emeritus Maurice Caruana Curran, Prof. Anthony Bonanno, Martin Scicluna, Martin Galea, Dr Petra Caruana Dingli, and Simone Mizzi – appealed to Musact to ensure that his legacy to Malta is “not remembered for the further and rapid degradation of the built and rural environment”.
They said they were concerned that the government has not drafted a solidly constructed new Strategic Plan for the Environment and Development, which will serve as the precursor to a new Structure Plan, and that the plan does not have essential detailed policies.
“Malta has been left without a proper strategy for the future governance and good administration of its built and rural environment, thus inviting continued bad management and abuse to fester,” the presidents said.