It’s not bad weather that floods our roads but lack of adequate management of this water resource over many years, ADPD – The Green Party Chairperson Carmel Cacopardo said in a press conference held online.

Cacopardo said that even though no one can control how much it rains there is a lot we can do to minimise its impact.

Cacopardo said that we should not now start to blame climate change when many international and local organisations have been warning about it for decades. In spite of the declaration of a ‘climate emergency’ by the Maltese Parliament last year, nothing has been done to better manage the environmental resources (including rainwater) to reflect this state of emergency.

In spite of all the talk and empty promises there does not seem any urgency in the action that needs to be taken so that the reduction in global temperature goals is met. Even though Malta is a small country, as an island we will be one of the most impacted negatively if the appropriate action is not taken.

There are laws that are not being implemented. Even if we just consider rain water there has been a requirement for the past 141 years that each building should have a well for harvesting rainwater. A primary cause of the flooding of our roads is due to the fact that a substantial number buildings do not have a well for rainwater storage but instead it ends up directly on our roads or in the sewage system, Cacopardo said.

The Planning Authority should ensure that all buildings are meeting this obligation. Instead, it is turning a blind eye. Before authorizing new communications to the sewage system, the Water Services Corporation is also obliged to ensure that such connections only receive sewage and not rainwater.

As a result of being overloaded, in certain areas public sewers overflow into our streets mixing with rainwater during and after a storm. This is not caused by nature but is the result of the gross incompetence of the public authorities.

It is simply not enough to boast about the millions of Euros being spent on the infrastructure. It is imperative that these are spent well and responsibly. Public authorities such as the Planning Authority and the Water Services Corporation should carry out their duties as required by law. Only then will our roads fare better in storms such as the recent ones, he said.