Senior representatives from countries around the Mediterranean convened in Malta for their first technical meeting on rising sea levels in the region. With keynote speakers from the Water Services Corporation, IRENA and the European Investment Bank, the hybrid conference served as a catalyst to discuss the challenge of sea level rise and how actions can be taken together to address it.
The conference tackled water and food security, energy, critical infrastructure, sustainability, and the Blue Economy, serving as a foundation for further collaboration.
Addressing the meeting, Minister for the Environment, Energy and Public Cleanliness Dr Miriam Dalli called for a platform that provides a tangible strategy to tackle climate change and its impacts. Speaking in favour of a cohesive plan for the Mediterranean region, Minister Dalli urged countries to work together.
“No coastal state can accomplish such solutions alone. The Mediterranean is a region with its own risks, and solutions must therefore be developed by countries together to protect our peoples,” said Minister Dalli.
The Minister emphasised that Malta is developing a national climate change adaptation plan, involving social partners from the very beginning.
Ing. Abigail Cutajar, Chief Executive Officer of the Climate Action Authority, also emphasised that resilience should not be considered solely as a national issue. “Regional coordination is a must. Countries should not merely react in isolation but share data, align emergency protocols, and simulate scenarios collaboratively. Early warning systems, stronger interconnections, cleaner energy, and above all, regional solidarity are not optional; they constitute the only viable path forward,” stated Ing. Cutajar. She underscored that resilience is not solely about surviving shocks but also about preventing them.
On her part, Prof. Simone Borg, Malta’s Ambassador for Climate Action and chair of the National Climate Action Council, welcomed the talks, stating: “Through technical discussions and shared experiences, the conference marks the beginning of a sustained process to build resilience and protect the Mediterranean’s future.”
Also present was Grammenos Mastrojeni, Deputy Secretary General of the Union for the Mediterranean. Thanking Malta for the initiative, he said, “Tackling sea level rise is not just about protecting coastlines; it’s about safeguarding livelihoods, addressing regional inequalities, and fostering cooperation across borders. By acting together, we can turn a sea of civilisations into a sea of shared resilience and peace.”
The ‘Med Action Addressing Rising Seas’ conference was organised by the Ministry for the Environment, Energy, and Public Cleanliness and the Climate Action Authority, in collaboration with the Union for the Mediterranean.
