It is envisaged that during the next period for EU Structure and Cohesion Funds (2007-2013), Malta will be engaged in a number of projects that relate to valley and storm water management.

Malta is currently undertaking the formulation of 'A Storm Water Master Plan for the Maltese Islands. This Plan is 85% part-financed by the European Union with the remaining 15% coming from local funds under the Cohesion Funds (2004-2006).

Overall objectives

In sum, the Storm water Master Plan (SWMP) is intended as an instrument to address the two paramount and juxtaposed issues of flood relief and water conservation.

Put simply, it is to "manage water away from where it is a hazard to where we are short of it" or "to transform existing threats into opportunities"

The objective of the Plan is to advance and pave the way for a common sense approach, reflected by the above mottos that can be used to brand the 'SWMP' in a meaningful way.

At a strategic level this plan is to have these overall twin objectives at the helm but it is also to integrate other wider environmental and socio-economic concerns.

Specific objectives

The objective of this contract is to formulate, on the basis of real-time analysis, a Plan that identifies priorities to be adopted as policy, and projects for their implementation; which Plan shall include with it a Final Report that sets out the results of an investigation and evaluation of the feasibility of the identified policies and actions, for: Management of the various impacts associated with storm water including flooding, road infrastructure deterioration and traffic management, civil protection and valley management in general and also with reference to particular flood prone areas and localities;

Utilisation of storm water to augment the water resources of the Maltese Islands through harvesting, storage, use, re-use, recycling, distribution of storm water and proper disposal of excess.

This project is partly financed by the EU Cohesion Funds (2004 - 2006)