Issue link: https://maltatoday.uberflip.com/i/1544245
7 maltatoday | SUNDAY • 5 APRIL 2026 NEWS Inwadar Park to get 13,600 trees in major afforestation push Project foresees 1,200 cubic metres reservoir replenished with water from the nearby Ta' Barkat sewage treatment plant A major afforestation initiative is set to transform degraded and abandoned portions of Inwadar National Park into a thriving woodland, according to the Project Description Statement (PDS) prepared and presented by Project Green. The concepts for afforestation in the park were first announced in the 2022 budget, where the government committed to a multi‑million‑euro investment to create woodland across parts of Inwadar Park stretching from Xgħajra to Żonqor in Marsas‑ kala. The project will plant a total of 13,607 trees and 2,638 shrubs, structured around four main planting types that reflect dif‑ ferences in soil depth, coastal exposure, and ecological func‑ tion. Type A areas, located on shallow, exposed soils often found on eroded inland terrac‑ es, will feature Sandarac gum (Tetraclinis articulata) as the main tree, with three trees per 100sq.m supported by 18–20 shrubs including mastic tree (Pistacia lentiscus), Mediterra‑ nean buckthorn (Rhamnus alat‑ ernus), Anthyllis (Anthyllis her‑ manniae), and myrtle (Myrtus communis). This type stabilises dry soils and provides an open, dapple‑shade understory resil‑ ient to wind. Type B, planted on medi‑ um‑depth soils in slightly shel‑ tered inland terraces, will focus on olive trees (Olea europaea), also at three per 100sq.m, ac‑ companied by 20–22 shrubs including mastic tree, Mediter‑ ranean buckthorn, Phoenicean juniper (Juniperus phoenicea), and Anthyllis. This creates a denser Mediterranean maquis with evergreen canopy and mid‑layer shrubs. Type C is reserved for coast‑ al and saline‑exposed zones, where four African tamarisk (Tamarix africana) trees per 100 m² will be planted alongside 16 shrubs including sea‑lavender (Limbarda crithmoides) and saltbush (Atriplex halimus), producing a canopy tolerant to wind and salt while supporting sun‑loving shrubs. Type D, suitable for deeper soils along woodland edges or more sheltered inland areas, will feature three Aleppo pines (Pinus halepensis) per 100sq.m, with 20 associated shrubs in‑ cluding mastic tree, Mediterra‑ nean buckthorn, Anthyllis, and Phoenician juniper. This type creates a shaded woodland edge with layered structure and high resilience to drought and wind. To ensure successful estab‑ lishment, an underground 1,200 cubic metres reservoir will col‑ lect runoff from Triq il‑Blajjiet and supplement it with treated water from the nearby Ta' Bar‑ kat Sewage Treatment Plant. Water will be distributed via a gravity‑fed drip irrigation sys‑ tem to support saplings un‑ til their roots reach sufficient depth for long‑term self‑suffi‑ ciency. Preparatory works include layering rocks, graded fill, and ERA‑approved topsoil to create fertile, well‑drained planting beds. Trees and shrubs will be manually planted with biode‑ gradable supports and tempo‑ rary wind barriers, while main‑ tenance during the first years will include watering, weeding, and replacement of failed sap‑ lings. According to the PDS, the project will restore soil stability, enhance biodiversity, provide recreational and educational opportunities for local commu‑ nities, and strengthen Malta's compliance with national envi‑ ronmental and climate objec‑ tives. By transforming degraded land into a thriving, climate‑re‑ silient woodland, Inwadar Park will become a lasting ecological and social asset. Under the Muscat administra‑ tion a substantial part of Żonqor Point in Marsaskala — had been earmarked for the construction of a large American Universi‑ ty of Malta (AUM) campus, a proposal that sparked public protests in 2015 and criticism from environmental groups and opposition parties concerned about the loss of open country‑ side and sensitive land. But national outcry and sus‑ tained environmental activism led to the project being scaled back over a smaller area with the remaining tracts of land designated as a park. Subsequently before the 2022 election Robert Abela declared his intention to stop any devel‑ opment in Żonqor. This was followed by negoti‑ ations to return the land trans‑ ferred by his predecessor to the AUM back to public domain, with the government agree‑ ing to bring it back under state control and integrate it into the protected Inwadar National Park. Under the Abela administra‑ tion the government entered negotiations to take back the Żonqor land and instead offer AUM a comparable parcel with‑ in SmartCity Malta in Kalkara, which itself relinquished land back to the State as part of the deal, allowing the contentious Marsaskala site to be returned to public ownership and incor‑ porated into Inwadar National Park. The afforestation concept was first announced in the budget presented in 2021, where the government committed to a €20 million, five‑year investment to plant tens of thousands of trees and create a woodland larger than Buskett Gardens across parts of Inwadar Park stretch‑ ing from Xgħajra to Żonqor in Marsaskala. In March 2022, addressing a press conference on the project, Sustainable Development Min‑ ister Miriam Dalli said 50,000 trees would be planted in the National Park of Inwadar. Back then the project was entrusted to a steering committee, com‑ prised of Parks Malta represent‑ atives, architects, tree experts, and agricultural sector repre‑ sentatives, which was tasked with carrying forward the ambi‑ tious project. JAMES DEBONO jdebono@mediatoday.com.mt