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The little that is left of our countryside is beautiful and precious. Malta’s countryside is threatened by the conversion of natural areas for other uses, such as housing, roads, industry and the expansion of urban areas. Din l-Art Helwa’s ‘Save the Countryside’ campaign seeks to raise public awareness of the threats to biodiversity through the over-development of the countryside and the destruction of habitats and ecological corridors. Biodiversity loss is a growing problem.
As part of this campaign, Din l-Art Helwa is organising a public debate on Wednesday 28th October at 7 pm, at the Old University in Valletta.
The panel will be chaired by journalist Caroline Muscat. Participants include the Hon Michael Falzon, Parliamentary Secretary for Planning; the Hon Marthese Portelli, Shadow Minister for the Environment; and the Hon Marlene Farrugia, chairman of the Parliamentary Committee on Environment and Development Planning; as well as the president of the Malta Developers Association Mr Sandro Chetcuti; and Din l-Art Helwa Council member Prof Alan Deidun.
The title of the debate is ‘Il-Futur tal-ODZ. Ghall-Maltin kollha jew ghall-ispekulaturi biss?’ (The Future of ODZ. Just for speculators or for everyone?). The debate will be held in Maltese and the general public is invited to attend.
The ‘Save the Countryside’ campaign highlights the importance of the countryside, and the biodiversity that it sustains, to the daily lives of the Maltese community and for future generations. The campaign aims to inspire people to take action to conserve the countryside. Our natural heritage includes many plants and animals and their diverse habitats. They depend upon the countryside to survive. The countryside also provides scenic beauty and educational benefits to Maltese society.
‘Save the Countryside’ is an internet-based campaign, mainly engaging with audiences on social media through a Facebook page provides regular news and updates.
This project is part-financed by the EEA Grants NGO Malta Programme 2009-2014.
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