Comino - Habitat restoration of specific sites on the island

Description: Habitat restoration of specific sites on the island

Country: Malta

City: Comino

City size: 350 ha

Population: 2

start: 2020

Timeframe: Planting take place during the spring and autumn months

Phase: Ongoing

Nature-based solutions (NBS) : No

Initiator: Ambjent Malta

Website source: https://environment.gov.mt/en/ambjentmalta/Pages/home.aspx

Latitude: 36.012

Longitude: 14.3279

Co-benefits

Biodiversity conservation or increased biodiversity

Yes, increasing green areas, enhance the potential for biodiversity and ecosystem service provisioning (Threlfall et al; 2017).

Ecosystem restoration and/or improved ecological connectivity

Yes, one of the aims of this restoration programme is to increase the vegetation cover by planting Mediterranean trees.

Increased quality and quantity of green and blue infrastructures

Yes, green infrastructure, by increasing green areas through implementation of Mediterranean native species.

Original problems

Drought and heat risk

Yes, the Mediterranean Basin is undergoing a warming trend with longer and warmer summers, an increase in the frequency and the severity of heat waves, changes in precipitation patterns and a reduction in rainfall amounts (Linares et al; 2020).

Loss of biodiversity

Yes, this project's actions are aimed to reduce biodiversity loss by removal of invasive alien species and the planting of indigenous vegetation.

Ecosystem degradation

Yes, data from The Biodiversity and Ecosystem Services (BES) index (2020) indicates that Malta is one of the highest in the world for the fragility of its biodiversity and ecosystems.

SDGs

Terrestrial biodiversity (SDG15)

Yes, the scope of this project is to encourage natural regeneration in the restored sites and possible regeneration in adjacent areas and biotopes.

Reference: Linares, C., Díaz, J., Negev, M., Martínez, G.S., Debono, R. and Paz, S. 2020. Impacts of climate change on the public health of the Mediterranean Basin population - current situation, projections, preparedness and adaptation. Environmental Research, 182:109107 Available at: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.envres.2019.109107.

Linares, C., Díaz, J., Negev, M., Martínez, G.S., Debono, R. and Paz, S. 2020. Impacts of climate change on the public health of the Mediterranean Basin population - current situation, projections, preparedness and adaptation. Environmental Research, 182:109107 Available at: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.envres.2019.109107.