MaltaToday journalist wins environmental journalism award

Held yesterday evening, the 21st edition of the Malta Journalism Awards saw an article penned by MaltaToday journalist James Debono receiving recognition as a leader in its field.

The article revealed how General Soft Drinks, bottler for Coca-Cola and producer of Kristal table water, received a sustainable development award despite extracting the equivalent of 26 million bottles of table water every year from the endangered water table.

Published in January 2010, the article pointed out the discrepancy in how a company that admits to getting half its mix (at no charge) to produce and sell table water from its three registered boreholes, received University Institute award that recognises Maltese organisations that make a significant contribution to sustainable development.

Debono welcomed the award as a sign that the issue of ground water exploitation is receiving national attention. “MaltaToday was the first paper to raise the groundwater protection issue, and we have been writing about this since 2005, when nobody was talking about it,” he said.

“I am dedicating the award to Julian Manduca, who kindled my interest in environmental issues,” Debono said. “In a couple of weeks, it will be six years since his passing.

“The award represents change in attitude. Despite being an issue that nobody used to recognise or talk about, ground water exploitation today is has become a national issue,” Debono said.

“Ultimately, however, it will only be truly recognised when government takes action against the companies that unsustainably exploit groundwater,” he added.

He said that despite its talk of affirmative and corrective action to address the exploitative groundwater extraction, “he has only limited itself to monitoring and little else.”

Matthew Vella – editor of MaltaToday.com.mt – was a runner-up in the category for e-journalism with his reports on the network of blacklisted Iranian vessels that use Maltese front companies to circumvent an international ban.

They were the sole nominees from MaltaToday, shortlisted along with 39 finalists from a total of 77 entries this year – the highest ever for the IGM awards.