The impact of global environmental change on transport in Malta

Abstract

This study addresses the impact of global environmental change, speci fically on transport in the Maltese Islands, with special attention to the economic implications of changes on: (i) employment, (ii) product or service growth/decline, (iii) capital investment, (iv) competitiveness and (v) skills/educational development and upgrade. Geographic and economic data from secondary sources are used to support the study. The paper addresses the concerns of environmental change on the islands of Malta and attempts to map the extent of potential damage to the islands' transport system, namely the impact of sea level rise and extreme weather events. Geographic Information Systems (GIS) are used to build a Digital Elevation Model (DEM) of the islands and simulate the eff ects on the road network, maritime installations and air transport infrastructures that are critical for Malta's economy and sustainability. The paper also describes the implications of such impacts. Results show that a significant share of the islands' infrastructure could be heavily damaged and the trans- port systems easily disrupted from predicted impacts of global environment change. The paper concludes with a call for the adoption of sustainable transport measures which address not only mitigation but also adaptation to global environmental change.