Integrated River Basin Management
Implementing the Water Framework Directive
To address the environmental objectives set out by the EU’s Water Framework Directive (WFD), the Energy & Water Agency, together with the Environment and Resources Authority, has published the 3rd River Basin Management Plan (3rd RBMP).
Malta’s 3rd RBMP provides a status assessment of inland and coastal waters in the Maltese Islands and identifies the measures necessary to ensure the achievement of good conditions in these water bodies.
The 3rd RBMP also includes a programme of measures to address the country’s water management, with specific focus on the significant water management issues which characterise Malta’s water sector.
The development and implementation of the River Basin Management Plans involves extensive stakeholder consultation both throughout its development and implementation process. The focused chapters of the 3rd RBMP have been published for public consultation and are available for download from the links provided below.
1. Introduction
2. Characterisation of Water Resources in the Maltese islands
3. Pressures and Impacts on our Water Bodies
7. Environmental Objectives and Exemptions
The general public and key stakeholders are encouraged to submit their comments on the 3rd RBMP’s content to water-energywateragency@gov.mt.
The input received will contribute to the finalisation and eventual publication of the 3rd RBMP for Malta.
Implementing the Floods Directive
Through the Floods Directive, the EU entrusts all member states to assess and manage their flood risk. This is to be achieved by producing flood risk management plans to reduce the adverse consequences of flooding on human health, the environment, cultural heritage, and economic activity.
Member states are required to update their flood risk management plans for each river basin district every six years, initially through the development of a Preliminary Flood Risk Assessment (PFRA) and, subsequently, through Flood Hazard Maps (FHM) and Flood Risk Maps (FRM).
Malta’s updated PFRA is the initial step in developing its 2nd Flood Risk Management Plan (FRMP). The PFRA identifies Areas with Potentially Significant Flood Risk (APSFR) through examining records and studies on recent and long-term developments, floods that have occurred during the last planning cycle, and the impact of climate change. Click here to download the PFRA.
The updated PFRA has enabled the development of updated FHMs and FRMs that identify the risk of floods in specific areas. The technical report detailing the approach adopted to develop these maps is available here.
The FHMs and FRMs helped guide the development of measures for risk aversion within Malta’s 2nd FRMP. This management plan has been published for public consultation and is available for download from this link.
The implementation of the Floods Directive is coupled with a process of public consultation. Interested stakeholders are invited to submit their comments on the potentially significant flood risk areas identified in the PFRA, the FHMs and FRMs and the 2nd FRMP to water-energywateragency@gov.mt.