SPEECH BY THE HON. NINU ZAMMIT, MINISTER OF AGRICULTURE AND FISHERIES, AT A SEMINAR ON "WATER SUPPLY AND AGRICULTURE IN A COMPETITIVE ENVIRONMENT" ORGANISED BY THE APS BANK

Mr. Chairman, Directors, Ladies and Gentlemen.

It gives me great pleasure to be here today to inaugurate this important seminar on "The Water Supply Situation in the Agricultural Sector in Malta" organised by APS Bank Ltd. I am also honoured by the presence of our guests from FAO, as this a reflection of the support and commitment of this agency towards water management problems. I also welcome the presence of all participants in this forum.

Water is undoubtedly the natural resource that is most important for all activities conducted by men. It is vital for health, industry, generation of power and also for agriculture. Furthermore water issues are set to become the major ones of the 21st century.

Agriculture is particularly dependent on water, and it is quite safe to make the statement than there can be no agriculture unless a reliable source of water for irrigation is assured. Our regional climatic conditions mean that while other countries enjoy the luxury of steady rainfall for most of the year, we in the Mediterranean need to find ways and means to provide water in periods of relative drought.

In Malta, we have an average rainfall of around 500mm a year, which is concentrated in a compressed period of time during the winter months. This, combined with the topographical features and other characteristics that are unfavourable to the collection and storage of water, means that we live at the mercy of the water cycle. Hence we depend upon the water stored in our aquifers, supplemented by energy hungry desalination plants.

For our agriculture to be able to meet the challenges and to rise to the opportunities of the future, we have to lay the necessary groundwork for the rational use of our water.

With such a limited amount of rainfall, we have to ensure that we make every drop count, if possible, at every stage of its cycle - from rain to drain. The management of water resources is directly linked to the agricultural sector, with the implication that agriculture is dependent on a cycle over which it has no control, or even input.

Our farmers determine the conditions and the future sustainability of our fresh water resources and therefore they are amongst the most important stakeholders in this water scenario. The interests of farmers thus dovetail with those of water managers.

Our water problems arise from an ever-increasing demand from various sectors and practices, agriculture included, that influence water quality. Disturbances are generated by many different sectors of our society and they are often associated with land development. Land-use decisions must therefore recognise the socio-economic importance of water and must include those provisions that ensure sustainability of natural water resources. Today we need a new institutional and legal framework in our islands that would regulate the use of our water resources in an integrated and comprehensive context of our national needs.

From the first stage, that of rainfall, we are faced with the need for the most efficient ways of collecting and storing this water, be it in artificially constructed reservoirs or through the water tables keeping this water in reserve for the drier months. The polishing of run-off water for irrigation or recharging of the water-table is inexpensive when compared to the cost of desalination. Regretfully, run-off water is available at the time when it is least needed for irrigation, and hence more cost-effective storage schemes need to be devised in future to harvest and store this precious resource.

Water is also the main component of sewage effluent. It is the medium through which we maintain the waste disposal system that is so crucial and fundamental for the health and hygiene needs of modern society. This water must not be allowed to go to waste. At the moment, in our country we already have one plant that is operating and recovering water from sewage in order for it to be used for irrigation of agricultural land that does not lie over aquifers for potable water. We are committed to having the capacity to treat all our sewage within the next few years. This should result in a situation whereby we can meet most of our irrigation needs on land where it is allowable, using water that has been recovered from drainage effluent.

I am here emphasising the concerns of agriculture, which is, after all, the core theme of this seminar. We look forward to a situation when we have sewage treatment plants that, using state of the art technology, provide us with enough quantities of water of the best possible quality. This water can then be used safely, without in any way endangering public health either directly or through contamination of the water table. As a result, less groundwater would be needed for agriculture, making the water tables more available for use in providing drinking water supplied to our homes, thus reducing the need for desalination.

Having however this supply is not enough. There is a pressing need for a holistic approach to the whole issue of the provision of water. There has to be planning for the development of a pressurised-pipe infrastructure for the delivery of this water, supplemented by the introduction of water-efficient irrigation devices, and all seen within the larger picture of the preservation of the rural environment.

In this manner, the agricultural sector will be able to provide a variety of agricultural produce at affordable prices, in balance with adequate income for producers and with a positive effect on the landscape, thus living up to its multifunctional character.

This is then our vision, transforming the permanent ‘drought' condition of our island to one where sufficient water is available for wise use at a minimum and affordable cost. Thus we will not any more talk about water as a constraint on development but rather one that facilitates our development and enhances out competitiveness vis-'?-vis our neighbours.

This can happen if the link between water supply and the agricultural sector is further recognised, strengthened and forged through projects of interest, both hydrological and agricultural.

In an island like ours, with scarce natural resources we are obliged to use the little that we have in the most rational manner. With this I mean that we need to adopt a collective approach to cope successfully with our environmental constraints while satisfying the needs of our society. The strategy that we need to follow moves away from conflict and competition. Instead it promotes a community culture aimed at exploiting our natural resources fruitfully to the benefit of the country and at educating all levels of society to create awareness on how water enters into our everyday life. In a nation that is one of the smallest in Europe we must have an intersectoral dialogue in order to enable the handling of complex water problems – after all water has always been everybody's business!

I would like to publicly thank and acknowledge the help and dedication shown by all who participated in the organisation of this seminar, in particular the APS Bank, who directly financed this meeting, FAO, for their presence and continued support and all the participants and guests.

Thank You.