The director, Nemesio Pérez, maintains that the risk of eruption in the archipelago in the next 50 years is 77%
SANTA CRUZ DE TENERIFE, Oct. 6 (EUROPA PRESS) –
The director of the Volcanological Institute of the Canary Islands (Involcan), Nemesio Pérez, warned this Thursday in Parliament that the volcanic risk in the archipelago is increasing, which is why he has demanded that public institutions deploy a strategy to mitigate its effects.
In an appearance before the reconstruction commission of La Palma, he acknowledged that he wants “there to be more volcanic risk” on the islands in the coming years because it will imply “more socioeconomic development and wealth” although he understands that work must be done to “minimize” its impact.
He has indicated that the volcanic eruption in La Palma has had a “huge impact”, questioning the fact that until now the island’s society has been “sideways” in the face of volcanic risk and not “front”, for which he hopes that the eruption of the Tajogaite be a “turning point”.
Pérez has detailed that, according to Involcan calculations, the probability of a new eruption in the Canary Islands exceeds 77% in the next 50 years, especially in La Palma (48.7%) and Tenerife (39.3%), percentages that rise to 48.7% and 63.2% respectively in the next 100 years.
He has asked the deputies what they are “waiting for” to develop the strategy, which he has estimated at an approximate cost of around 250,000 euros to be ready in a year, while criticizing the “lack of commitment” of the State and of the legislative chambers.
In this line, he has requested consensus, participation and scientific knowledge to promote the strategy, making it clear that “things are possible but you have to put dough” for which he has asked the deputies to promote that the Canary Islands stop being in the queue in research and development when processing budgets. “They have work to do,” she said.
Pérez has proposed doing volcanic emergency drills and zoning volcanic risk on the islands based on the location of “critical infrastructure” such as ports, airports or hospitals — he has given as an example that the Mazo airport is poorly planned — .
It has had an impact on improving prevention and early care with more volcanic surveillance and information workshops, studying embankments as thermal insulation for buildings, promoting geotourism and developing goethermy.
In this specific field, he has criticized the “lack of will” of the central and Canarian governments given that the investment in the last 12 years is barely around 7 million, more than 62% contributed by the Cabildo de Tenerife. “In La Palma there is a geothermal system but it is necessary to do the exploration”, he has indicated.
THE EMISSION OF GASES IN PUERTO NAOS AND THE LIGHT BULB “DOES NOT DECREASE”
As for the toxic gases that emanate from La Bombilla and Puerto Naos, on the coast of Los Llanos de Aridane, he commented that it is necessary to “monitor the beast” and carry out “natural and forced ventilation” given that although it will not be a “permanent” phenomenon do not have the tools to know when it will end. “For now it is not diminishing,” he said.
For this reason, it has defended small visits by people evicted from their homes, accompanied and for at least two hours and between 12:00 and 5:00 p.m., a time slot with less danger and avoiding basements and ground floors.
He has recognized that it is a “complex problem” but they are obliged to “live” with it.
The director of the Involcan has also valued that in this eruption it has been recognized that the exclusive volcanic surveillance by the IGN “was not the way to go” –“look how long they have taken”– and there has been greater coordination between all agents.
It has made the deputies ugly that the NLPs that are approved in the chambers are not complied with and that the Government of the Canary Islands has not yet formalized Involcan as a regional body and although the eruption has been a first-rate scientific experience, it has confessed that it prefers ” play away from home” those kinds of games because it has been “very hard” from an emotional point of view.
