Issue link: https://maltatoday.uberflip.com/i/1516210
8 maltatoday | WEDNESDAY • 21 FEBRUARY 2024 ANALYSIS JAMES DEBONO jdebono@mediatoday.com.mt Majority think Malta unprepared for natural disasters ONLY 32% of Maltese think the national authorities are prepared to respond to natural disasters triggered by climate change while 44% think the EU is pre- pared. In the wake of the "dramat- ic increase" in natural hazards such as wildfires, floods or droughts because of climate change, a Eurobarometer sur- vey asked respondents in all EU member states to assess the preparedness of national and EU authorities. The survey shows that 56% of Maltese think that their nation- al authorities are not prepared for such an eventuality while 12% did not reply. As regards EU authorities the Maltese are a bit less sceptical with 42% saying that it is not prepared for this eventuality. The survey shows that the Maltese are more sceptical of the preparedness of their na- tional authorities to tackle natural disasters. In fact, 51% of all EU respondents believe that their national authorities are prepared for this eventu- ality. The same percentage of EU respondents believe that European authorities are also prepared. The survey published in the past week is based on a survey conducted in October 2023. Confidence in the ability of the Maltese authorities to tackle a natural disaster has dropped considerably from 48% in March 2023 to just 32% now. The survey shows that the Maltese are among the most sceptical in the EU on the pre- paredness of their government to respond to a natural disas- ter. Only the Greeks (9%), the Latvians (26%) and the Cypri- ots (28%) were less confident in their government's ability to tackle natural disasters. The Portuguese expressed the same level of confidence as the Mal- tese. In contrast 74% of Austri- ans believe that their govern- ment is prepared to respond to national calamities. Although Maltese are large- ly sceptical on their country's preparedness to respond to extreme weather, the country regularly assesses its exposure to flooding risks, which comes as a legal obligation of the EU's floods directive. The directive obliges Member States to create a Flood Risk Management Plan, identifying areas facing significant flood risk. A document drawn up by the Energy and Water Agency pre- sented last year had made sev- eral proposals to mitigate the impact of flooding while iden- tifying communities which are most at risk. These included 563 Qormi residents and 491 people in Birkirkara who live in zones at the highest risk of flooding. According to the report the inclusion of rainwater har- vesting infrastructures in new developments could result in an annual water savings of ap- proximately 70,000 cubic me- tres. Unlike mainland Europe, where the major cause of flooding is overflowing rivers, Malta's main problem is the lo- cation of most urban develop- ment in low-lying areas. These low-lying areas often consist of dry valleys, which have been integrated into the urban fabric over time and now serve as main thoroughfares. When a storm event occurs, these paved dry valley beds act as conveyance channels for stormwater, which flows for only a short time before reach- ing the sea. Only a third of Maltese believe their country is prepared for natural disasters triggered by climate change like f loods, fires and droughts Production in construction up by 0.8% in the euro area and by 1.3% in the EU IN December 2023, compared with November 2023, seasonal- ly adjusted production in con- struction increased by 0.8% in the euro area and by 1.3% in the EU, according to first estimates from Eurostat, the statistical office of the European Union. In Novem- ber 2023, production in construc- tion fell by 0.4% in the euro area and by 0.5% in the EU. In December 2023 compared with December 2022, production in construction increased by 1.9% in the euro area and by 2.4% in the EU. The annual average production in construction for the year 2023, compared with 2022, increased by 0.2% in the euro area and by 0.1% in the EU. Monthly comparison In the euro area in December 2023 compared with November 2023 building construction in- creased by 1.1%, while civil engi- neering decreased by 0.6%. In the EU building construction increased by 1.4%, while civil en- gineering decreased by 1.1%. Among Member States for which data are available, the high- est monthly increases in produc- tion in construction were record- ed in Romania (+10.3%), Poland (+8.5%) and Hungary (+5.0%). The largest decreases were ob- served in Slovakia (-10.0%), Ger- many (-3.4%) and Austria (-1.9%). Annual comparison In the euro area in December 2023 compared with December 2022 building construction in- creased by 1.3% and civil engi- neering increased by 4.7%. In the EU building construc- tion increased by 1.1% and civil engineering increased by 4.1%. Among Member States for which data are available, the highest annual increases in pro- duction in construction were recorded in Romania (+30.7%), Poland (+18.9%) and Belgium (+10.7%). The largest decreases were observed in Slovakia (-10.4%), Austria (-8.7%) and Sweden (-6.1%).