BirdLife Malta held a four-day, in-person training on nature restoration between 19th and 22nd January, bringing together key government entities and environmental organisations to strengthen Malta’s national restoration capacity.
Participants included the Environmental Resources Authority (ERA), the Energy and Water Agency, Nature Trust, Majjistral Park and Friends of the Earth. The sessions focused on international standards and best practices for restoring ecosystems degraded by human activity.
The training follows the adoption of the EU Nature Restoration Law in 2024, which requires Member States to submit national restoration plans by September 2026. The EU aims to restore at least 20% of land and sea areas by 2030, with all ecosystems in need of restoration addressed by 2050.
In Malta, ERA is leading the development of the National Nature Restoration Plan. Despite challenges such as limited space, high development pressure and a dry climate, the training highlighted Malta’s potential for impactful restoration projects.
The programme was led by wetland ecologist Patrick Grillas from the Society for Ecological Restoration and addressed key gaps in restoration planning, implementation and monitoring. BirdLife Malta said it hopes the initiative will strengthen collaboration among stakeholders and support inclusive restoration efforts involving landowners, farmers and fishers.
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