Meeting opened at 9:30 with a brief welcome speech by Ms. Aimee Borg from the hosting partner MIEMA.
The event embedded two session: an information session including presentations by partners and main Maltese stakeholders, and an open discussion session.
The information session was opened by Mr. Marco Graziani, from MIEMA, who presented the activities carried out by the Agency in the fields of sustainable energy and environment, within the framework of various EU-funded projects under several Programmes (Interreg Europe, Interreg MED, Erasmus Plus, etc.).
Ms. Federica Di Pietrantonio (MIEMA) introduced the LIFE GREENCHANGE project, highlighting its assumptions, objectives, actions and intervention areas, as well as its focus on rubble walls – a typical element of the Maltese rural landscape whose function as ecological corridors is meant to be strengthened by the project.
Ms. Carolina Pozzi (MIEMA) gave a presentation on land stewardship as an innovative strategy for nature and biodiversity conservation, focusing on the stakeholders involved, the possible types of land stewardship agreements and their advantages for the sustainability of farming activities.
Ms. Federica Benelli (POLIEDRA) presented the Pact for Biodiversity, explaining its main features and especially its potential advantages for public administrations, farmers, and other users of the rural territory.
Ms. Anna Gureva, from ERA (the Maltese Environment and Resources Authority), presented the current national policies for green infrastructure and the activities for their implementation, focusing on a document recently issued by ERA, entitled ‘Investing in the Multi-functionality of Green Infrastructure (GI) – An Information Document to support GI Thinking in Malta’. This document is available online and ERA agrees on the idea to link it in the LIFE GREENCHANGE website.
Mr. Aaron Cutajar, from the Maltese Energy and Water Agency (EWA), presented an ongoing rehabilitation project targeting the Chadwick Lakes, aimed at restoring the initial conditions of the site and to remove invasive vegetation and debris that have compromised the original functions of the artificial lakes through the years – also in view of a tourist and recreational valorisation of the area.
The open discussion session has highlighted the need for the LIFE GREENCHANGE team to share data and information with ERA and EWA, with the purpose to align the methodologies applied and to avoid overlapping and duplication of activities and interventions. The more precise definition of the areas for the demonstration actions in Malta has also emerged as a crucial task to carry out as soon as possible.
The meeting closed at 12:00.