The current overemphasis on climate change is distracting attention from what is actually creating the local impact on the environment and provides a convenient excuse for political inaction. The results of a study carried out in the Caribbean by the Global Coral Reef Monitoring Network over a span of 3 decades, showed that there was no particular driver that out shined the other. The degradation of coral reefs in particular, is a result of the following four drivers:

• Ocean warming

• Increase in population density

• Coastal pollution

• Overfishing

Each of the above drivers have their significant impact on coral reefs and when looked at from a global perspective, it is clearly evident that there is no one solution that fits the planet as a whole. Local differences in human activities are somehow the main variables on the respective local environment. This means that each local community must take the necessary actions based on its ecological surroundings. The Mediterranean has a different marine landscape the that of the Caribbean or that of the Indian Ocean. However, a common factor that ensures a healthy environment is good governance. 

It is useless having environmental laws if there are no plans, funds and resources to implement them. It is useless establishing marine protected areas when there is no monitoring and enforcement. There must be the political will to embrace nature conservation and prevent nature degradation. Good governance is a commitment to create a system to protect individual human rights and the environment they live in. All this is measured through the following factors:

• Minimise corruption - create an environment where corruption struggles to flourish. Unfortunately corruption became part of organised systems in several communities.

• Government effectiveness - deliver what has been promised, fair distribution of wealth, transparent in all its processes,  make the best use of the available resources for the common good of society and its habitat.

• Political Stability leads to absence of street violence, terrorism and war

• Regulatory quality - ensures that independent regulatory bodies carry out their mission without any political and commercial interference. Regulatory bodies must be made of experts in the respective field without any political appointees.

• Rule of law - laws apply equally for everyone. No one shall be above the law and no one shall have any preferential treatment when facing the law.

• Accountability - a clear commitment that everyone must deliver what has been assigned for in the best way possible and must be responsible for whatever the outcome may be, positive or negative.

If any of the above fails, then there is a high risk that any environment conservation measure will fail. We still see politicians use the environment for political propoganda to gain popular votes but then fail to implement any decent measure. We see political appointees with no environmental conservation acumen leading regulatory bodies and pushing specific political agendas. Property development in protected zones. Abuse of fishing quotas. Discharge of polluted waste into the ocean.

Politicians are very good in talking and tell us what we want to hear. But not all of them walk their talk. Before we campaign to reduce the use of plastics, before we do the beach cleaning, before we do waste separation in our homes and offices, we need to ensure that the people we elect and trust to run our countries, have the credentials for good governance and we need to make them aware that we are watching every move they make and that they will be held accountable for whatever they do, good or bad.

Jose’ Micallef

December 2018