Yet many Maltese are not giving up and are making a series of practical proposals. During a recent gathering of Vision Circle organised by Momentum, several proposals came forward. These include:

• Publish a clear land registry on what is public land and private, mapping out the public country pathways with signage put up to clearly indicate paths that are right of way.
• Impose stricter building limits, better planning, and enforcement to protect open spaces, even if it slows economic development. Public land should not be ceded to private interests, ensuring that national assets are managed for the common good and future generations.
• Place a moratorium on new buildings in ODZ and revise local plans to prioritise the environment to prevent the remaining uncultivated and agricultural land from being converted into urban projects.
• Stop the use of agricultural land for solar farms.
• Stop the sealing of soil, especially in green and agricultural areas
• Install appropriate lighting to prevent light pollution so natural open spaces can be enjoyed at night.
• Provide incentives for planting drought-resistant trees and ensure they are watered correctly, in a sustainable approach.
• Promote vertical farming to use fewer pesticides and conserve water, offering an innovative solution to food production challenges.
• Create a foundation where abandoned public land is acquired and sold in small plots, with the money going back into the foundation.
• Reclaim public land where it has been encroached upon and ensure the public’s right to safely access and enjoy these spaces. Immediately remove chairs and tables without permits and limit such permits.
• Turn unused dwellings within villages into green, relaxing spaces, revitalising communities and increasing public green areas.
• Strengthen the Environmental Protection Unit across Malta and Gozo, with personnel and equipment such as drones and cameras, and work 24 hours, not just during the day
• Increase public knowledge, add signage to show what is permitted and what is not permitted in popular areas, citing the relevant laws, and impose harsher penalties for lawbreakers.

On the ground, NGOs are already working tirelessly to raise awareness, fight illegalities, fight unsustainable development, and to restore biodiversity. Unfortunately, from discussions we have with many of the NGOs, they feel they are fighting against a state that is not on their side, and ultimately not on the side of the citizens. Farmers, too, share their concern that, sadly, agricultural land is being seen as a developable space.

Without political leadership, the efforts of NGO remain vulnerable. What is urgently needed is a firm and credible national commitment to protect what remains and to rebuild what has been lost. Momentum promises that it will go beyond vague promises and adopt clear policies that limit construction in ODZ areas, promote eco-heritage tourism, enforce tree and biodiversity protection, and guarantee public access to land and sea. The regular and continuous pollution of our seas through sewage and fish farms has to be urgently addressed.

There must also be transparency in party donations and serious reform of institutions responsible for planning and environmental management. Any changes to public land or natural areas must be made through genuine consultation, not token processes.

Open spaces are not luxuries. They are essential to Malta’s future. They are where children play, where elderly people rest, where nature finds refuge, and where the national memory lives. If we want a Malta worth passing on, we must act now.

Matthew Agius is a geophysicist and serves on the executive committee of Momentum http://partitmomentum.org