A proper geological assessment of Malta's coastal areas needs to take place before engineering interventions are made in areas like Għar Lapsi, the President of the Chamber of Geologists, Peter Gatt, said following the damage caused by Storm Harry.

The storm, which occurred in January, battered Malta and Sicily, and damaged parts of the coastline such as the Għar Lapsi area. Għar Lapsi suffered extensive damage that impacted the visual appearance, as well of the use of the area. The Government has said that it is committed to restoring the Għar Lapsi area.

A public consultation has been launched by the government to understand what people would like to see in the regeneration of the area. Infrastructure Minister Chris Bonett had said on social media on 2 February that studies on the rock at Għar Lapsi are taking place. But while Gatt stressed the importance of taking the geology of the area into consideration, he questioned who is conducting the studies.

"Whatever intervention is done must first take into consideration the geology of the area. We don't have a national Geological Service, and so there is no geological entity overlooking the situation. The government says they are conducting studies of the rock, but who is conducting these studies? Are they geologists? This is a country where geologists aren't even recognised as a profession, contrary to Italy, where geologists have been recognised through a warrant since 1963. We are at a disadvantage compared to our European partners," he said, advocating for the setting up of a National Geological Service.

"If we are going to look at the effects of climate change, we are in a vulnerable position, and the government has to act. This cannot be piecemeal action, just an intervention to cover up a few areas here and there possibly with concrete. That is not going to last very long, just like the netting covering the rocks at Għar Lapsi, much of which was cut away by the waves and rocks that were pushed around. We need a proper assessment of coastal areas from a geological aspect before we can start talking about engineering interventions."

He said that engineering interventions without proper geological advice would probably be short-lived. "The critical issue is not so much the engineering intervention, but the rock on which it is going to be constructed. When we don't have a Geological Service to offer advice to government entities about the geology of the coastline, whether it is Għar Lapsi or elsewhere, the probable result will be an engineering intervention which will not take the geology of the site into consideration enough, and thus would be a short-lived intervention."

Asked about Malta's coastline in general, Gatt said that it is susceptible to damage by strong waves. "The problem with Malta's coastline is that it is crossed by many fault lines. Waves exploit these areas of weakness. A case in point is Għar Lapsi, where there is the Magħlaq Fault passing right along the coast. The area was heavily damaged because it is intrinsically weak."

Malta's coast has many of these fault lines, he said, adding that waves would exploit these and create areas of erosion. "In addition, the rock itself is not very strong. Coastal areas with Globigerina Limestone and clay especially, the rock is weak, but even Coralline Limestone might not be all that strong." 

He noted that several built-up or concrete-covered areas, such as Għar Lapsi and the Chalet in Sliema, are particularly high-risk due to geological faults. He explained that these fault lines, "mark zones where tectonic movement over millennia has crushed the rock, creating inherently weak rock that is highly susceptible to wave erosion". Given that Malta's coastline is intersected by numerous faults, he warned that, "much of the shore remains geologically vulnerable".