Given Malta's small size, it is no surprise that areas along the Maltese coast, such as Manoel Islands and Comino, to name two current examples, regularly feature as sites of contention between different interests.   

A scholarly paper which I recently read provides a very interesting discussion as to how we can have a more holistic policy process when it comes to coastal infrastructure. I believe that the points raised in this paper can be very useful if applied to our islands.

The article 'Expanding infrastructure ontologies: Integrative and critical insights for coastal studies and governance', by Paul Foley, Lorenzo Moro, Barbara Neis, Robert Stephenson, Robert Mellin, Gerald Singh, Pamela Hall, Rachel Kelly, and Umme Kulsum, was published last December in the academic journal Coastal Studies & Society.   

Here, the authors argue that traditional, technocratic understandings of infrastructure are inadequate for addressing the complex challenges facing coastal and ocean governance.

Instead, they call for an expanded understanding of infrastructure that incorporates built/physical, environmental, and societal/cultural dimensions. This broader conceptualisation enables more integrative and ethical governance approaches, especially in the face of climate change, biodiversity loss, and growing social inequalities.

The authors identify three interrelated infrastructure types. Built infrastructure includes material systems like ports and energy grids that support societal functioning but can also entrench vulnerabilities. Environmental infrastructure refers to ecosystems and natural processes-such as wetlands, and ocean currents-that deliver services like climate regulation and disaster mitigation. Societal and cultural infrastructure encompasses institutions, norms, knowledge systems, arts, and governance structures, shaping how societies interact with coastal spaces.

Crucially, the authors propose that these infrastructures do not function in isolation. For instance, coastal governance systems can impact ecology, people's behaviour, and built development. The authors highlight how neglecting these interconnections can lead to infrastructural failures with cascading consequences across ecological and social systems.

Indeed, the authors argue that infrastructure is influenced by values, power relations, and historical legacies. For example, trees are not just natural assets, but living infrastructures central to coastal resilience and local knowledge systems.

The paper emphasises the need for reflexivity, humility, and ethical awareness in applying infrastructure thinking. Governance decisions should account for the different social, ecological, economic, and other factors, and should avoid privileging elite interests.

Ultimately, the authors offer infrastructure thinking as a methodological and conceptual lens to foster interdisciplinary dialogue and inclusive governance. By reimagining infrastructure beyond its physical form, coastal studies can engage more effectively with the lived realities of people and ecosystems, and chart pathways toward more just, resilient, and ecologically attuned futures.

This type of approach can be applied to policy-making in Malta in fields such as coastal infrastructure and beyond, for example roads, parks, and other development projects. Here, a broad holistic approach that involves various stakeholders and experts can be employed. Indeed, any place and space which is subject to development has physical, social, economic, and other characteristics which may influence each other. Having such multifaceted policy making can help foster win-win inclusive outcomes.

Prof. Michael Briguglio is an Associate Professor at the Department of Sociology, Faculty of Arts, University of Malta

www.michaelbriguglio.com