As Malta grapples with rapid urban development and intense tourism pressure, carrying capacity studies have emerged as a vital tool for sustainable planning. These assessments measure the maximum population or number of visitors a locality can support without triggering infrastructure failure, environmental degradation, or social decline. In recent years, the need for such scientific evaluations has become increasingly urgent, particularly in densely populated localities such as Gzira, Sliema and St Julian's, now among the most densely populated areas of Malta.
In May 2025, the debate over carrying capacity reached a turning point in Sliema. The Flimkien għal Ambjent Aħjar (FAA) led by Astrid Vella and later the Sliema Residents Association (SRA), long vocal about the town's overcrowding, publicly urged councillors to support a motion - put forward by Labour councillor Ryan Borg - to commission a formal carrying capacity study. This proposal aimed to provide a scientific basis for managing development, tourism, and infrastructure investment in one of Malta's most congested towns.
Sliema has experienced a dramatic rise in both permanent residents and short-term visitors. By 2024, the town's population had swelled to over 24,000 - almost doubling from just over a decade earlier. During peak summer months, this figure is often doubled by tourist arrivals. With over 700 registered tourist establishments and around 1,400 Airbnb listings, Sliema's infrastructure is under severe strain. Residents frequently report power cuts, overwhelmed drainage systems, sewage leaks into the sea, traffic congestion, garbage and vanishing green spaces. These problems were at the centre of protests held as early as 2023, when locals gathered at Fond Għadir to express frustration with unchecked development.
Despite the urgency, the motion initially met resistance. The council - led by a Nationalist Party (PN) majority - argued that there were no available funds for this project when the bank accounts of the council shows a very healthy balance in the Council's account of over €1 million in the bank account. Deputy Mayor Anton Debono stated that the council's budget of around €1.07 million was already committed to other projects. This reasoning sparked criticism from local groups, who viewed the refusal as a dismissal of legitimate resident concerns. The SRA and others pointed out that without a scientific framework, authorities were effectively planning blind, allowing development to escalate beyond sustainable limits.
Nevertheless, pressure mounted, and the matter gained traction in the national political arena. Opposition Leader Bernard Grech announced that similar motions were being submitted by PN councillors across Malta. By late June 2025, more than 30 councils had moved or passed motions calling for carrying capacity assessments. Some, such as Swieqi, approved them unanimously. In response to growing consensus, and under renewed scrutiny, Sliema's council reversed its stance and committed to commissioning the study if this is paid by Central Government, in spite of knowing that Capacity Studies would expose an unpleasant reality. Moving away from petty politics was in the interest of the Sliema residents.
Should funds be not available, we would not have been debating this issue. However, this is not the case with over one million euros in the council's accounts. It is a case of priorities and the carrying capacity study has been considered a priority by NGOs and the Sliema Residents. One still struggles to understand why the PN-led council decided not to support the carrying capacity study motion proposed by PL's Councillor Ryan Borg.
The study, which would be expected to take around a year to complete, will assess the town's environmental, infrastructural, and social thresholds. The anticipated benefits are multifold. With accurate data, Sliema can establish realistic limits for both population and tourism, assess weaknesses in water, power, and sewage infrastructure, and recommend zoning or policy reforms to guide development. The findings may also support restrictions on building height and density, and help expand green and public spaces in a locality that currently falls well below recommended levels of open space per capita.
Importantly, the study is not just about limiting growth. It is about achieving a sustainable balance - ensuring that economic activity, particularly tourism, does not come at the cost of liveability. Residents have long raised concerns about construction noise, blocked sunlight from high-rise buildings, noise, beach closures due to contamination, accumulating garbage, and even rising issues like cannabis-related odours in residential zones. These are symptoms of a broader problem: the absence of a data-driven planning framework to match urban intensity with capacity.
The Sliema Local Council's eventual decision to move forward with the study would be seen as long-term vision on its part, a victory for local activism and a sign of maturing governance. If successful, this could become a model for other Maltese towns under similar pressure, particularly in high-density coastal areas like St Julian's, Gżira, and Marsaskala. In the long run, carrying capacity studies may well prove essential to preserving not just Malta's infrastructure, but the quality of life of its residents.
Dr Katya De Giovanni is an Organisational Psychologist, Labour MP and resident Academic at the University of Malta