The aim of organising a National Environment Rally is to highlight the situation as regards environmental abuse which is threatening our health and well-being, with uncontrolled building activity contributing to Malta having the highest rate of asthma in the Mediterranean, while conditions in several towns and villages have become unbearable due to the incessant noise, air pollution, obstruction by cranes, broken pavements etc caused by the construction industry.

Besides the destruction of our traditional village cores and heritage architecture, the Maltese are increasingly feeling that what is replacing these old buildings is most often poorly designed, inappropriate to the context and disturbing residential areas with commercial projects. Permits to build yet more units are being granted with no attention to population density ratios and infrastructural load. Enforcement against illegal development and illicit uses of public land is practically non-existent, while the sanctioning of abusive works only encourages others to build abusively.

The people are equally concerned that although Malta's built-up surface area already stands at an alarming 22% compared to the European average of 7%. In addition to this the Government is now announcing plans to destroy a further 2.4% of what is left of our precious countryside due to new regulations to allow building in certain ODZ areas.

At the rally we will also be expressing ourselves against plans to use ecologically-sensitive areas like Ta' Cenc and ix-Xaghra il-Hamra for golf-courses, the loss of our rural heritage for the benefit of the few. Similarly, the public is being denied access to the countryside, foreshore and coastal zones by developers and squatters. Our sea and the life it sustains have also been abused with long-lasting impacts for which immediate measures are needed to reverse the damage. Our sea provides us with all the water, natural resources, leisure and numerous sources of income, but all these are presently at risk. Tourism has also been affected by poor environmental management, resulting in loss of jobs and closure of businesses.

This rally is a non-political activity being organised by most of Malta's environmental NGOs including:

• Island Sanctuary
• BICREF
• Din l-Art Helwa
• Flimkien ghal-Abmbjent Ahjar
• Fondazzjoni Wirt Artna
• Friends of the Earth
• Gaia Foundation
• Graffitti
• Insalvaw il Wied ta' Kalkara
• Kumitat ghall-Harsien Rurali ta' Ghajn Tuffieha
• MOAM
• NatureTrust
• Qui si-San Residents' Association
• Ramblers' Association
• Archaelogical Society
• Malta Geographical Society
• Grupp Wied Garnaw

This is the first time that so many associations have come together to organise such an activity on a national scale and we urge the public to come to Valletta on Saturday the 10th and make its voice heard.

3rd June 2006