A Land Use and Land Use Change Study of the Maltese Islands (1998-2012)

Authors: Daniel Sultana

Corresponding: Daniel Sultana (daniel.sultana@um.edu.mt)

Keywords: Land use change, Land use policy, Soil sealing, Artificial surfaces, Outside development zone, Environmentally designated zones, Within scheme

Doi: 10.7423/XJENZA.2024.3.04

Issue: Xjenza Online Vol. 12 Issue 2

Abstract:
A thorough understanding of past spatial and temporal land use variations is critical for evaluating the effectiveness of land use policies and guiding future decisions towards sustainable management. Such knowledge places current land use trends in a historical context, allowing for better modeling of potential future scenarios. This study contributes to this understanding by providing two high-resolution datasets. The first dataset presents a fine spatial resolution land use map of Malta for 2012, with a minimum mapping unit (MMU) of 0.01 km². The second dataset offers a very fine spatial resolution map (MMU of 0.0005 km²) that documents the spatial changes in artificial surfaces and the land uses they replaced between 1998 and 2012.

The analysis shows that artificial surfaces in the Maltese Islands covered 48.13 km² in 1998, increasing by 4.68 km² to 52.81 km² by 2012. In 1998, 84% of these artificial surfaces were located within development zones (within scheme), 14% were found outside of combined development and environmental designations, and 2% within environmentally designated areas. Structure Plan policies during this period successfully confined 49% of new artificial surfaces within development zones. However, 48% of new artificial surfaces were constructed outside of development designations, and 3% were built within environmentally protected zones. These findings suggest that the Structure Plan's policy framework was only partially effective in containing urban expansion within designated areas, while environmental policies were more successful in curbing industrial and residential development within protected zones.

New artificial surfaces during the study period primarily replaced agricultural land, both used (1.84 km²) and abandoned (1.40 km²), as well as semi-natural areas (0.43 km²). This research highlights a misalignment between the intended objectives of land use policies and the actual land use changes observed over the 14-year period. It underscores the importance of acquiring detailed spatial and temporal data to inform national land use and resource management policies aimed at promoting sustainable land use. An accurate assessment of these variations is crucial for adjusting policy measures to achieve the desired outcomes in future land management efforts.


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