Last Friday, Mariano Hernandez ZapataCouncilor for Ecological Transition and Energy of the Government of the Canary Islandspresented the results of the first phase of the pilot project ‘LIFE Garachico’whose objective is to establish an early warning system and carry out small preventive works to mitigate the floods in Garachico.
This study focuses primarily on coastal urban areas of Macaronesia, in response to climate change and extreme coastal events.
The counselor pointed out that although the study began in Garachico, it could be applied in other areas of the archipelago or regions with similar characteristics. In addition, he emphasized that the rise in sea level globally will change the way of life in the Canary Islands, so it is crucial to be prepared to protect both the population and the territory.
This project, which has been developed for two years, is now moving towards concrete actions, such as the implementation of the first early warning system in the Canary Islands and the carrying out of small works to reduce damage caused by waves, both current and future.
Zapata thanked the collaboration of all parties involved and highlighted the importance of the local community in this project, since they are the most affected by adverse coastal phenomena.
The mayor of Garachico, Heriberto González, highlighted the vulnerability of the area to maritime storms and the need to improve security and preparation to face the effects of climate change.
The social focus of the project was highlighted by Carla González, social anthropologist and researcher at the University of La Laguna, who highlighted the importance of working in a coordinated manner between technicians, scientists, authorities and the local community.
Christine Bezic, environmentalist at Grafcan, explained the work carried out to understand the current situation in Garachico and monitor adaptation measures, including the implementation of an early warning system and the use of artificial intelligence.
This project, which is developed in Garachico, Puerto de la Cruz and Praia da Vitória (Azores, Portugal), is led by the Department of Ecological Transition and Energy of the Government of the Canary Islands and has the collaboration of ten other partners.
The project focuses on adaptation to climate change and has carried out an exhaustive study of the risk of flooding in the coastal zone, considering social, environmental and economic aspects. The first phase, started in 2021, focused on risk identification and the perception of the local community, mapping of underwater beds, wave analysis and modeling of maritime predictions.
In the next stage, which will take place until 2026, an early warning system will be implemented, action protocols will be designed and actions will be carried out to mitigate the effects of floods. In addition, the project will continue to be monitored and analyzed to ensure its effectiveness and applicability in other areas with similar problems.
The ‘LIFE Garachico’ project is an example of how the European Union finances innovative projects to combat and adapt to climate change in different natural and climatic areas. In this case, it focuses on coastal adaptation.
