Għawdex presepju?

L-aċċess liberu u immedjat bejn Malta u Għawdex mhux xi ħaġa li bdejna nargumentaw dwarha issa. L-argument ilu għaddej is-snin. Niftakar, meta kont għadni żgħir nisma’ l-argumenti sħan dwar il-possibilita’ ta’ pont bejn Malta u Għawdex fis-snin 60. Riċentement l-argument issoffistika ftit ruħu u hemm min hu mħajjar mill-ħolqien ta’ mina taħt il-baħar bejn Malta u Għawdex.

Qabel iżda ma wieħed iqies jekk proġett bħal dan jistax isir, kif ukoll kemm jiswa’ u minn fejn ser jitħallas, ikun għaqli li nifhmu ftit xi skop irridu li jintlaħaq bi proġett bħal dan, u dan qabel ma nibdew biss nidħlu fid-dettall biex nikkunsidraw l-impatti ambjentali.

Bla dubju l-iskop ta’ min imexxi l-quddiem l-idea ta’ għaqda fiżika permezz ta’ pont jew mina  hu li din l-għaqda fiżika tnaqqas il-ħin biex persuna residenti Għawdex tasal għax-xogħol jew għal-istudju l-Universita’ f’Malta. Tiffaċilita’ ukoll il-ħidma tal-industrija li jonqsulha d-diffikultajiet biex twassal il-prodotti tagħha lejn is-swieq, kemm dawk lokali kif ukoll dawk barranin. Fi ftit kliem min imexxi l-quddiem l-idea ta’ pont jew mina jara dawn l-aspetti posittivi li jirriżultaw mill-fatt li Għawdex ikun parti integrali minn Malta. Pero’ sfortunatament jinsa’ l-bqija. Ma tistax u m’għandex, biex tmexxi l-quddiem l-idea tiegħek tarmi l-ideat ta’ ħaddieħor.

Ma nafx jekk qatt ġiex ikkunsidrat l-impatt fuq it-turiżmu tal-proposta ta’ mina jew pont. Għax b’mina jew pont, lit-turist ftit jibqa’ xi jħajjru biex jibbaża ruħu f’Għawdex waqt il-mawra tiegħu f’dawn il-gżejjer. B’pont jew mina, l-attrazzjoni ta’ Għawdex għat-turist tkun kważi identika bħal dik ta’ reġjuni oħra fil-gżejjer Maltin. Filwaqt li dan għalija hu ovvju, tajjeb li jsir eżerċizzju biex dan ikun ikkwantifikat biex meta jittieħdu d-deċiżjonijiet kulħadd ikun jaf x’inhu jagħmel, fejn qiegħed u x’inhuma l-konsegwenzi ta’ dak li nippjanaw u nagħmlu.

Għax fl-aħħar irridu bħala pajjiż niddeċiedu mhux jekk Għawdex ikunx magħqud ma’ Malta b’pont jew mina, imma dwar x’direzzjoni ekonomika għandha tieħu l-gżira Għawdxija. It-turiżmu f’Għawdex żgur li għandu potenzjal li jikber . Mhux qed nirreferi għat-turiżmu tradizzjonali iżda dak magħruf bħala eko-turiżmu.

L-eko-turiżmu għandu potenzjal kbir f’Għawdex. Jista’ faċilment jaħdem id f’id ma l-agrikultura u mal-ħarsien tal-ambjent. Inħarsu l-ambjent u nkattru x-xogħol permezz ta’ turiżmu li jirrispetta n-natura.

Bħalissa qed nitkellmu ħafna dwar l-agri-turiżmu fil-kuntest ta’ tibdil tal-politika tal-ippjanar dwar l-użu tal-art f’żoni agrikoli. Ma ġewx ippubblikati studji li jiġġustifikaw dak li ġie propost. Hemm ħafna potenzjal.

Per eżempju minn studji diversi li saru nafu li n-natura għandha effett terrapewtiku. Meta l-bniedem jirristabilixxi l-kuntatt dirett tiegħu man-natura iserraħ il-menti tiegħu u jikkalma. Il-kuntatt dirett man-natura tnaqqas l-istress.  Hemm branka ta’ xjenza magħrufa bħala eko-terapija li tistudja kif in-natura tista’ tkun utilizzata iktar fil-qasam tas-saħħa mentali. NGO Ingliża fil-qasam tas-saħħa mentali meta xi snin ilu ippubblikat ir-rapport tagħha intitolat Eco-therapy : A Green Agenda for Mental Health emfasizzat li n-natura għandha l-potenzjal li tkun għodda utli ħafna għall-futur tas-saħħa mentali tagħna lkoll. Dan jista’ jsir b’diversi modi: b’mixjiet fil-kampanja, tours ċiklistiċi, żjarat fir-rżiezet inkluż li ngħixu għall-perjodu ta’ żmien fost komunitajiet ta’ bdiewa jew sajjieda ………… u bosta ħidmiet oħra. Din hi ħidma li tfittex li tistabilixxi mill-ġdid ir-rabta bejn il-bniedem u n-natura. Din hi attivita’ li tnaqqas l-istress, ir-rabja, l-ansjeta’, l-għejja mentali u problemi diversi oħra ta’ saħħa mentali. (ara ukoll fuq l-istess suġġett il-blogpost tiegħi  Reconnecting to Our Roots)

Dan kollu hu fost il-potenzjal li għandu Għawdex. Potenzjal li joħloq ix-xogħol imma fil-ħolqien tiegħu jirrispetta l-ambjent. It-turiżmu flimkien mal-ambjent joffri futur interessanti għal Għawdex, ferm iktar milli jkun presepju.

Ibbazat fuq il-kummenti ippubblikati f’Illum : il- Ħadd 29 ta’ Dicembru 2013

Reconnecting to Our Roots

published on August 15, 2009

by Carmel Cacopardo

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Being Green entails a fundamentally different approach to politics from that of mainstream political parties. The point of departure being recognition of the fact that man does not form part of an economy but of an eco-system. Ecology establishes natural limits for our actions. However, it also provides solutions for a number of the problems we encounter.

Our society can be organised in a much better way than it is at present.

The building industry continues to produce residential units while a substantial number estimated at around 70,000 currently lie vacant.

Around 300,000 cars glut our roads. Given the small size of the Maltese islands, mobility can be more easily ensured through an efficient public transport system supplemented by other means including cycling. Yet continuously our society defies reason and without fail selects the worse option.

During the past two years in Mexico City, in the densely populated neighbourhood of Iztapalapa, a “nature roof” was created at the Belisario Dominguez Hospital. The project director Tania Müller when interviewed stated that “having direct and visual contact with a green area helps a great deal in patient recovery”. This “nature roof” in an intensely developed urban area is also proving beneficial to the medical staff who, like their colleagues around the globe, are constantly subject to stressful situations.

Nature has a therapeutic effect. Man is constantly searching for ways of re-establishing a lasting link in particular in situations where the “natural” link with nature has been eradicated. A “nature roof” may be a measure of last resort in a densely urbanised area but it is no substitute for the real thing.

A study published in May 2008 by the University of Exeter on behalf of the UK Charity LEAF (Linking Environment and Farming) concluded that a two hour visit to a farm can be more beneficial than the same time spent in a gym. The study entitled Feed Your Senses: The Effects Of Visiting A LEAF Farm concludes that nature has a calming effect in that it assists in stress reduction. This is beneficial not only to those in a good state of health but more so to those whose mental health is an issue. In some cases it can also be an addition or maybe even a substitute to conventional therapy, doing away with dependence on anti-depression treatment through the use of prescription drugs. MIND, a leading mental health charity in the UK, launching its report entitled Eco-therapy: A Green Agenda For Mental Health considers eco-therapy as an important part of the future of mental health. Eco-therapy is a developing branch of psychotherapy and involves the utilisation of nature for “people’s psychological and spiritual health and well-being”. Now this can take various forms: walks in the countryside, cycling tours, visits to farms, taking up residence periodically within a farming or fishing community. All seek to re-establish our “lost links” with nature and have been found to reduce stress, anger, anxiety, mental fatigue and various problems of mental health.

Agri-tourism offers such an experience too. Unfortunately, agri-tourism and its twin eco-tourism are not given much importance in the Tourism Master Plan For The Maltese Islands, which is more of a business plan for the hotel industry than a tourism master plan. Agri-tourism is not only a sustainable alternative to the building of farmhouses for urban dwellers fleeing from the stress of work but also a welcome reinforcement of the economy of the agricultural community.

Developing a healthy agri-touristic industry is not just beneficial for tourism and agriculture; if properly managed it could in the long term reduce part of the costs of the National Health Service in the sense that the agri-touristic infrastructure can also be utilised for medical purposes, rehabilitating patients with problems of mental health. This however requires an holistic view of policy.

The National Commission for Sustainable Development, which (to put it mildly) is known not to have met in the recent past, provides the framework within which policy can be viewed in an holistic manner. It also provides for a beneficial interaction between the different areas of policy which could lead to initiatives enhancing the quality of life for all. The Commission has the potential of being a laboratory of ideas to develop sustainable development policies. Such a useful tool is not being put to use at the present time.

The closer we get to the end of the current recession the more important it is that the National Commission for Sustainable Development develops the role of a “critical friend” of the Public Administration, developing ideas and subjecting the ideas and proposals of others to a sustainability benchmark. It is the only way to re-establish the links with our roots.

eco-terapija

Xi gimgħat ilu kont ħadt sehem f’seminar organizzat mir-Richmond Foundation f’Malta dwar ir-relazzjoni bejn l-ambjent u s-saħħa mentali.

L-għaqda Ingliża LEAF ( Linking Environment and Farming ) illum ippubblikat rapport dwar kemm il-kuntatt man-natura huwa ta’ ġid għas-saħħa mentali. Jitkellem dwaru rapport tal-BBC tal-lum intitolat : Farm Trips may alleviate stress .

 

Ir-rapport oriġinali tal-LEAF huwa intitolat Feed Your Senses: The effects of visiting a LEAF Farm.

Huwa emfasizzat kemm sagħtejn f’razzett jistgħu jagħmlulek ġid iktar minn l-istess ammont ta’ ħin f’gym. Ir-riżultati ta’ dan l-istudju li sar mill-Universita’ ta’ Exeter fir-Renju Unit jitkellmu dwar tnaqqis ta’ tensjoni (stress), tnaqqis tal-għejja u anke tnaqqis tar-rabja ! In-natura fi ftit kliem tikkalmak .

Għandna bżonn nitgħallmu ftit iktar kif nistgħu nieħdu ħsieb ta’ saħħitna billi nżommu iktar qrib tal-għeruq tagħna, tan-natura. Min hu b’saħħtu b’dan il-mod jista’ jieħu ħsiebha iktar. Min hu marid jista’ jsib soluzzjoni.

Studji oħra li saru minn istituti oħra ta’ riċerka jindikaw li iktar kuntatt man-natura jista’ jghin ghall-fejqan ta’ tensjoni u depression. B’hekk nibilgħu inqas medicini ! L-ambjent jgħin lilna u aħna ngħinu lilu għax inqas mediċini ifisser ukoll inqas skart tossiku.