“Having green spaces in urban areas within our busiest towns and villages, is fundamental for the wellbeing of residents. It makes a lot of sense,” Malta’s Ambassador for Climate Action Prof Simone Borg said.
Borg was reacting to the Labour Party’s electoral pledge to invest €700 million over seven years in new and enhanced green spaces within urban areas in towns and villages across Malta and Gozo.
Every green space is important because it absorbs greenhouse gases and improves air quality. As a result, there will be more oxygen and cleaner air to breathe, Prof Borg explained.
She added that throughout the consultations for the country’s post-COVID strategy, it was abundantly clear that people were yearning for more green spaces in urban areas for families and citizens of all ages to enjoy every day of the week.
People yearn for more green spaces
in urban areas.
She reminds us that the urban environment is a key contributor to greenhouse gas emissions:
“The more development we have, the more we generate greenhouse gas emissions: at our homes, and places of work. Green spaces do the opposite and actually reduce carbon emissions. On the other hand, when we drive around in search of green spaces away from our locality, we generate more greenhouse gases and contribute to the pollution within the urban environment.”
The investment in new green spaces within our towns and villages will allow residents to enjoy their social and leisurely activities within walking distance from their homes, thus reducing the need to use the car. In return, it will reduce pollution and support the government’s decarbonisation efforts.
Prof Simone Borg believes, however, that it is now imperative that we change our lifestyle and seek green places closer to home, thus changing the way we spend our free time.
Prof Borg welcomed the urban green reclamation projects that will see derelict buildings and private gardens converted into open spaces for one and all to enjoy:
“We can look into how we can use these spaces better. This proposal also encourages people to enjoy and appreciate the beauty within our localities, including the more urbanised ones, without feeling the need to drive to get to places and breathe cleaner air. The reality is that now we can have these places within walking distances from our homes.”
Prof Borg said that she hopes this is just the beginning of new urban greening initiatives, and that we will start seeing more green spaces in the community.
As Prof. Borg made amply clear people should be given the opportunity to enjoy open green spaces near their own towns and villages. As we know this is widely practiced in several towns and cities in Europe. Agricultural land is being lost continuously to development but it is also a fact that this land is being abandoned and left unutilised with rubble walls crumbling. How about the Govt allocating small plots from public land to responsible residents who may be given the land under certain conditions to cultivate and for family enjoyment.By this way land would be enjoyed, cultivated and retained for use by posterity.
How about opening up public gardens for the enjoyment of residents? There has been such a suggestion for Gnien tal- Kmand in Qrendi. Small Portions of arable land can be leased out to over 60’s for kitchen gardens . This will give such public areas a new lease of life .
Qrendi