By Mark Said

Copyright maltatoday

The concept of carrying capacity on its own is amorphous. Realms as varied as sociology, ecology, political science, engineering and biology each prescribe specific requirements for it.

Carrying capacity can at best be defined as the maximum number of people that can be supported by the environment of an area through optimum utilisation of the available resources.

Last May, caretaker Opposition Leader Bernard Grech urged the PN’s local councillors to present a motion in every council where they are elected, requesting official scientific studies on the carrying capacity of their localities.

That followed right on the heels of a Sliema local council meeting during which a groundbreaking motion was proposed by PL Councillor Ryan Borg to commission a carrying capacity. Regrettably, a PN councillor immediately shot down such a proposal, alleging that the council cannot afford such a study since its €1,073,118 working capital was already allocated to other projects.

Generally, these studies aim to determine what infrastructure investment is necessary in each locality to ensure sustainable development and to maintain the quality of life that every citizen deserves.

Carrying capacity exercises are crucial for our towns and villages, as they help determine the maximum population an area can sustainably support without degrading its environment, infrastructure or quality of life. These exercises are essential for informed urban planning, sustainable development and effective resource management.

Carrying capacity exercises help identify potential resource constraints, such as water availability, energy demand and waste management capacity, allowing for proactive measures to optimise resource allocation.

They provide insights into the optimal population size for a given area, enabling better planning for housing, education, healthcare and other essential services.

By identifying environmental limitations, carrying capacity exercises help to protect natural resources, green spaces and biodiversity, promoting a healthy environment for residents.

Most important of all, carrying capacity assessments provide a basis for informed decision-making regarding urban planning, infrastructure investments and resource allocation, leading to more sustainable and efficient urban development.

A quantitative-based assessment framework provides a set of measurable indicators and benchmarks for policy-makers to conduct routine monitoring on progress toward urban sustainability and helps identify deficient areas, which urgently need resource allocation to improve urban carrying capacity.

Alongside Malta’s fast urbanisation process, a rapidly increasing number of people are becoming urbanites, and human beings are relying more heavily on the artificial as well as natural systems of a town or village to live there.

With rapid urbanisation across the country, many towns and villages have become showcases for a host of concomitant diverse urban problems. The urban diseases frequently besetting these areas include traffic congestion, housing shortage, lack of amenity, environmental pollution and others, which have posed actual challenges and impediments for sustainable development. St Paul’s Bay is a perfect example and illustration.

If the urban population and human activities expand infinitely and exceed the limit of urban capacity, local urbanites would no longer perceive prosperity but be troubled by the overall deterioration in social, economic and ecological aspects. The immediate cause for these problems is the overdevelopment or overconcentration of population and socio-economic activities in urban areas, which has greatly exceeded the inherent urban carrying capacity.

The concept of tourism carrying capacity has been under consideration for at least as long as there have been increasing concerns about the impact of tourism. It stems from a perception that tourism cannot grow forever in a place without causing irreversible damage to the local system.

It is an approximate measure of the tolerance a site or building is open to for tourist activity and the limit beyond which an area may suffer from the adverse impacts of tourism.

Multidisciplinary elements should be considered, including environmental assets, cultural heritage, residents’ aspirations and the quality of visitors’ experiences.

Our policy-makers often fail to undertake timely and appropriate assessments of the conditions of urban sustainable development. For progressing towards the achievement of sustainable urban development, urban carrying capacity merits systematic and scholarly studies.

The development of a set of urban carrying capacity measurable indicators and standards must become an important and practical tool for policy modelling and assessment. Carrying capacity is not only related to the study of ecology or physical infrastructure but also comprises analysis of economic, social, environmental and institutional aspects and other sciences. A set of benchmarks, norms and standards is necessary for either qualitative or quantitative assessments of carrying capacity conditions.

In general, urban services in Malta are well developed and maintained because they benefitted from the country’s strong economic performance. We have developed a satisfactory quality infrastructure and urban services network. However, relevant information is absent in statistical reports. Access to electricity, cable TV and the Internet is readily provided to average households in the country. However, some aspects, such as cultural facilities, including public libraries and entertainment spots; healthcare services; and transport systems, are not yet adequate.

A convenient and efficient traffic system is an important element for high-quality living. Traffic congestion has been a key bottleneck in many areas across the island. Considering its importance, it is imperative to devote more efforts to studying public traffic conditions.

Considering that greenfield development opportunities become less and less available while the need for redevelopment of existing areas increases, carrying capacity studies have become a must.

After which, the direct investment of the government in different sectors is the most manageable and proactive means to enhance the carrying capacity of a specified urban area.