Coastal flooding and the business community : a stakeholders’ assessment on selected localities in the Maltese islands

Abstract

Resilience of coastal communities is increasingly required to adjust to the effects of climate-change and its coastal-related threats. Climate change is a major global issue that is leaving adverse consequences on the environment, economy, and health of urban coastal lowlands. Flooding risks from both sea level rise and increase in the frequency and severity of storm surges are considered amongst the most threating consequences associated with climate change. This study aims to assess the level of socio-economic preparedness to flooding impacts from sea level rise and storm surges as evaluated and perceived by three selected categories of stakeholders: the business community, local councils, and specialised experts from the government sector. Five coastal towns (three from Malta and two from Gozo) were selected as representatives of highly active commercial zones: Gżira, Sliema, St Julian’s, Marsalforn and Xlendi. Data collection involved 160 business surveys, five surveys with local councils, and interviews with twelve representatives from government organisations. The methods used included the collection of elevation data for each locality and then plotting the businesses’ distribution in relation to their height above sea level. This was followed by a mixed method questionnaire for all three targeted audiences; however, the experts’ interviews were mostly of a qualitative nature. This study shows that there is a knowledge gap about the level of perspectives and preparedness about coastal flooding amongst small coastal businesses. The main finding which emerged from the business community suggests that there are no contingency or strategy plans in place for potential flooding impacts from sea level rise and storm surges, and the risks of driving owners out of business is high. The second key finding was that due to the high commercial activities found in these localities, most business owners remain reluctant to relocate to other areas. From a local government perspective, it was discovered that all local councils significantly lack the resources they need to effectively manage coastal flooding within their locality, forcing them to completely rely on the central government for future resources. From a central government perspective, it seems that all interviewed experts operate within a narrow-defined set of responsibilities and could only answer for their respective roles. Thus, the approach to address coastal flooding is still fragmentary and no inter-governmental or cross-sectorial discussions have ever been concretely delivered to date. These findings call for the need of more triangulation of efforts between the three stakeholder sectors to create a more co-ordinated plan of action on how to address the threat of coastal flooding.