The EU’s Water Framework Directive makes it an imperative for EU Member States to implement sustainable water management polices. Contrary to what was reported in a local newspaper some days ago, this directive does not only regard the management of Europe‘s river basins. On the contrary, these regulations require countries to implement a holistic framework that includes diverse water resources, including the natural water resources as may be found in Malta’s aquifers. The EU explicitly asks member states to regulate the extraction of natural water and enforce measures which will encourage efficient use and thus ensure that natural water resources remain sustainable both in terms of their quantity and their quality. Sustainability requires satisfying current use without compromising use by future generations.
And here come the conundrum. According to experts like geologist Gordon Knox and hydrologist Marco Cremona, Malta will be facing a water crisis within fifteen years. By the year 2025, we may run out of a usable and reliable water supply. The Malta Environment and Planning Authority’s environment report has also admitted that the illegal use of water is leading to over-extraction and is a major cause for concern.
Our current policies are certainly running in direct opposite to the sustainability route. It is obvious that the Maltese government is failing miserably in its obligations to ensure the sustainability of its water resources as set out by the EU’s Water Framework Directive. This is not a matter of making a politically partisan attack – the scientific evidence speaks for itself.
The government continues to ignore EU rules as it procrastinates over its submission of its water management plans. An important element involved in regulation includes data-gathering and processing and constant monitoring of the situation. The EU set the end of 2009 as the deadline for the filing of the water management plans. Six months after the deadline passed the Commission informs us that the government is still yet to deliver its proposals. The government replies that the plans have indeed been submitted. Let us put the blame on snail-mail services between Malta and Brussels. One thing is certain. Should Malta’s explanation, requested by the Commission as to why it had delayed sending information to EU authorities as to how the directive is being enforced be unconvincing, there is a possible threat of Malta being taken to the European Court of Justice (ECJ).
In line with broader environmental objectives, the directive unequivocally states that Member States must introduce incentives that will encourage users to use water resources efficiently. Whether households, agriculture or industry, all parties must consume water in a sustainable manner, in an economic and equitable manner. In short, those who consume this very scarce resource and cause the ensuing environmental damage are the ones who should bear the financial burden – not ordinary tax payers.
The recent exorbitant water tariff hikes have exacerbated this injustice since they only apply to metered users. Those people or entities that are making illegal use remain outside this equation. In fact the incentive to join this group has been increased by these price hikes. The reward for shirking responsible usage has never been so high. Rough estimates show that these illegal users are a large number and not just a small minority. It beggars belief that while law abiding metered users are sermonised about the importance of paying the full unsubsidised cost of a resource, they are also told to tolerate a situation where hundreds of heavy users of water supply continue to shirk paying for their share. This situation has been untenable for many years and is more untenable now in view of the distributive effects on low income law-abiding families charged with carrying an unsustainable burden in contrast to a subsidy, to which equity certainly may demand.
Some progress has been made. Last year, the government introduced regulations that made it mandatory for all boreholes to be registered and a moratorium was placed on the digging of new boreholes. Much more needs to be done in finding agreeable solutions to water-use by farmers and commercial users, admittedly two strong lobby groups, with respect to the use of various sources of water of differing qualities. Efficiency and equity issues must feature in such solutions.
Our situation in Malta is not hopeless. Countries with arid conditions like Israel and Australia have worked hard at developing sustainable water management policies, with great success. There is no reason why we should not succeed. But time is against us. The Water Framework Directive has to be implemented properly and urgently, with quick fix policies avoided at all costs.
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