water Archives – THINK Magazine

Water, Malta and a Fraught Future

Water is the last resource. The politics, deprivation and conflict created by water insecurity will define the future. Malta, as one of the most water-stressed countries in the world, will be ahead of the historical and technological curve.

Eat your way to a healthy life

With growing evidence showing that our eating habits aﬀect not only our waistline, but our physical and mental health, should we all be turning to the Mediterranean diet to live longer, healthier lives? Prof. Giuseppe Di Giovanni, *Prof. Christian Scerri**, and* Dr Paulino Schembri write.

antioxidants balance colour cravings diet food fruit habits healthy living Mediterranean nutrition oil olive Pollution sugar veg water

Sewage works

Water is our number one resource. It not only sustains life, but also supports the economy and its development. And yet, water is taken for granted. Kirsty Callan talks to Marco Cremona, the man behind the revolutionary water treatment solution that promised to reduce Maltese hotels’ water use by 85%.

#research activist consulting engineer Environment government hotels HOTER hydrologist hydrology impact innovation inventor island Marco Cremona ngo recycling resources sewage technology water

The floating lantern

In Japan, candle-lit lanterns are released into rivers in Toro nagashi to guide the spirits of ancestors back to the other world. The lanterns exude beautiful, orange light as they float downstream. At times they group together, creating what look like small, glowing platforms. This very image was what inspired the floating platform Dr Rebecca Dalli Gonzi is building, together with her colleagues Dr Joseph Falzon, Prof. Tonio Sant, and NAS Limited. The project is being consulted with Prof. Claire DeMarco and ALTERN Limited.

By bringing together the sea, the arts, architecture, and engineering, they are giving rise to a lightweight platform that sits on the water’s surface, providing a unique space for artistic performances, installations, and exhibitions. The lanterns’ rectangular shapes are being replaced with hexagons—a more efficient fit. Holding everything together are mounts or magnetic currents, depending on research results. The modular approach allows adjustability in shape and size, potentially seeing the platform expand beyond its current three meters, while making it easy to disassemble, respecting the environment it inhabits.

The team hopes that the platform, or lantern as it is affectionately referred to, will provide artists and practitioners with a new approach to their art that will bring joy, while also inspiring creative thinking in the construction industry.

Author: Dr Rebecca Dalli Gonzi

#research design floating magazine malta platform pontoon University university of malta water

Kaptan on board

Meet the mobile app that’s making the sea safer for sailors and citizens alike.

android CALYPSO Calypso Project current Department of Geosciences faculty of science fishermen forecast iOS Italy KAPTAN malta marine mariners Physical Oceanography Group sea sea app sea map Sicily UoM university of malta water weather conditions

When desalination is the only option left

The Water Services Corporation (WSC) has recently announced that it will construct a Seawater Reverse Osmosis Plant at Ħondoq ir-Rummien in Gozo. To the casual observer, having a reverse osmosis plant on the island might seem like a necessary and commendable way of ensuring an adequate and independent water supply. However, Gozo has been meeting its water demands efficiently through a groundwater polishing plant since 2005, importing just 20% of its water from the Ċirkewwa reverse osmosis plant, a facility that is not being used to capacity. So a pertinent question arises: why is a reverse osmosis plant being considered?

bottled water desalination drinking water ecological Environment EU drinking water standards europe Gozo hondoq ir-rummien local water plan malta natural water purified water reverse osmosis sustainability the malta water association underground water water

Curiosity saved the cat

Since childhood Ian Zammit has always been curious about why things are the way they are. His curiosity has led him to work on a water recycling project from which Malta could potentially stand to gain. He speaks to Veronica Stivala.

#science answer antibiotic antibiotic resistance dry healthcare Ian Zammit life low rainfall malta MSCA recycling recycling water reuse reverse osmosis sant antnin sewage treatment Sant’ Antnin sewage treatment plant Stockholm University summer university of malta UoM waste water water water reclaiming technology water supply water treatment water treatment process

Time to evolve

Urban areas suffer from crippling traffic issues and gross water wastage. The University of Malta could become a living experiment to test innovative solutions to these problems. Words by Natasha Padfield.

2015 built environment special focus carpooling chemistry energy-saving Environment flooding green travel plan groundwater kevin gatt low-flow tap malta master plan msida valley natasha padfield odette lewis parking public transport reverse osmosis society tech technology think Think Magazine Think Website traffic UM university of malta water

With growing evidence showing that our eating habits aﬀect not only our waistline, but our physical and mental health, should we all be turning to the Mediterranean diet to live longer, healthier lives? Prof. Giuseppe Di Giovanni, Prof. Christian Scerri, and Dr Paulino Schembri write.

Author: Dr Rebecca Dalli Gonzi

Meet the mobile app that’s making the sea safer for sailors and citizens alike.

Since childhood Ian Zammit has always been curious about why things are the way they are. His curiosity has led him to work on a water recycling project from which Malta could potentially stand to gain. He speaks to Veronica Stivala.

With growing evidence showing that our eating habits aﬀect not only our waistline, but our physical and mental health, should we all be turning to the Mediterranean diet to live longer, healthier lives? Prof. Giuseppe Di Giovanni, *Prof. Christian Scerri**, and* Dr Paulino Schembri write.