Tenerife initiates fourteen urgent measures to address the severe drought in the island’s countryside. The commitment of the Cabildo to the primary sector includes, among other actions, an investment of 27 million euros for new infrastructures, from desalination plants to pumping stations, as well as improvements in the distribution network and the reduction of bureaucratic procedures that suffocate producers. Not to mention the imminent declaration of this mentioned severe drought that is devastating the Island. This was explained by the island’s vice president, Lope Afonso, and the councilor responsible for the area, Valentín González, during a meeting with agricultural organizations at the service headquarters located in the former Telefónica Building in Santa Cruz.
It is true that the Island is suffocating with the warmest winter in the historical series, rainfall is at a minimum (it has not rained as usual in January or in the first half of February) and the reservoirs, as of the past day 1, have a capacity of 34.6% filled (1,600,480 cubic meters compared to the total volume of 4,836,664). This last reality is only mitigated by reclaimed water, since in the north (wells and galleries) it only reaches 23.2% compared to the 52.9% of the reservoirs in the south. In summary, the unusually high temperatures this winter are compounded by the fact that water reserve levels, which had dropped below 10%, are currently around 35%, an insufficient amount to face the summer.
The Sector
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Lope Afonso and Valentín González discussed with representatives of the main agricultural organizations in Tenerife (COAG, Asaga, Asocan and UPA Canarias), with the intention of addressing the water crisis situation and the goal of finding solutions, jointly. Both reaffirmed “the Cabildo’s commitment to the primary sector of Tenerife”. The farmers were provided with technical data from twelve reports from the various services of the Cabildo, including Balsas de Tenerife (Balten), which conclude that the situation is disastrous, especially in terms of rainfall. It has not rained, it is not raining, and there are no signs of it doing so in the short term or in the coming months, which is expected to result in a devastating summer for irrigation in the Tenerife countryside.
Support
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Lope Afonso made it clear from the outset that “the Cabildo supports the fair demands of the protesting producers”. This Wednesday in Las Palmas and next Saturday in Tenerife. Among the reasons for the protest by farmers and ranchers are the difficulties in irrigation. In fact, at least in the medium term, the participants announced that “we will have to get used to a little less quality to increase the quantity of reclaimed water, although always with conductivity (salt levels) within the allowed parameters”.
Priority
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The priority now is the countryside. There will be time to address the problems that exist in human consumption. Afonso argued in this regard that “it is not advisable to compare with other islands or places on the peninsula, such as Catalonia”, where there are already restrictions on drinking water. Valentín González recalled the nine million euros already budgeted to specifically address these needs plus the 18 million from the agreement with the State Society of Agricultural Infrastructures (SEIASA) for certain works. But, he emphasized, “we are at the disposal of what the farmers consider a priority”.
Concern
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Both Afonso and González expressed their “concern about the water crisis situation we are experiencing and its consequences for farmers”, so they stated that “we cannot rule out the possibility of declaring a water emergency on the Island”. Afonso valued it as “a tool to expedite administrative deadlines, which, in turn, will allow us to act more quickly to reach the summer with the infrastructures functioning and in the best possible conditions”. In this regard, they stated: “We are going to continue working in coordination with agricultural organizations, being fully aware of the seriousness of the situation.” The island councilors claimed that “the primary sector is the foundation of the economy and also a hallmark of Tenerife”. Afonso concluded: “The situation requires us to use tools that make the Cabildo an ally of farmers in this difficult time”.
Summary
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González summarized: “To achieve these objectives, we are going to propose a coordination table with the Insular Water Council, and the maximum collaboration of the municipalities”. And the councilor concluded: “The idea is to be able to agree, authorize, and coordinate the implementation of the actions we propose as quickly as possible, given the exceptional scenario”. Ángela Delgado, president of Asaga, pointed out that “we are working hand in hand with the Cabildo and they have exposed to us in documents and figures the serious drought situation that we experience day by day. The downward trend in 15 years of rainfall and the upward trend in temperatures”. She stressed the importance of “expediting all works.Actions to Address the Water Crisis in Tenerife During the Summer
The current climatological situation has led to extreme drought and a critical water supply issue in Tenerife. The implications are dire, particularly for farmers in the region. The President of the Cabildo of Tenerife, Valentín González, expressed concern over the situation. He stated that urgent measures need to be taken to ensure that farmers have access to water during the summer months. He stressed the severity of the situation by highlighting that the potato campaign will be catastrophic if there is no rain within the next two to three days.
Improvements and Investments
The Cabildo is actively promoting measures to enhance irrigation distribution networks and improve water quality in specific areas. Additionally, it is advocating for desalination and reclaimed water as alternative sources to mitigate the scarcity of conventional resources such as galleries and wells due to lack of rainfall. The planned initiatives involve budgeted works for this fiscal year amounting to nearly nine million euros. These include desalination plants for reclaimed water irrigation in the Güímar Valley and Isla Baja, as well as mobile desalination units in the Northeast and La Orotava. Furthermore, there is a plan to enhance tertiary treatment in El Chorrillo, in collaboration with the Santa Cruz City Council, to supply better quality water to the northeast (specifically the Tacoronte-Acentejo area). An investment of 18 million euros will be made in the rehabilitation and improvement of the water supply network in the entire southwest region of Tenerife, including the construction of the Las Charquetas reservoir in Guía de Isora. These measures will have a significant impact on the availability of water in the affected areas.
Urgent Measures and Challenges
The most pressing measures will focus on the western part of the island, specifically in Aripe (Guía de Isora), the Güímar Valley, La Orotava, and Tacoronte-Acentejo. Valentín González emphasized the need to expedite all procedures to address these works, particularly in the midland areas, which pose additional challenges due to their topography. A total of 14 urgent actions have been identified to mitigate the effects of the drought in the short term as a result of the ongoing climate crisis.
The Alarming Climatic Context
The period from 2023 to 2024 has been recorded as the warmest in history from a climatological standpoint, as per data provided by the State Meteorological Agency. This has exacerbated the drought, leading to an extremely critical water situation in both the northern and southern regions of Tenerife. The uncharacteristically warm winter has resulted in high temperatures and prolonged episodes of calima. The latest monthly report from the State Meteorological Agency described the meteorological situation in Tenerife as “extremely warm.” The average temperature in January on the island was 17 degrees, with a maximum of 20.9 degrees, the highest in the last 60 years. This is coupled with a scarcity of rainfall, making January one of the driest months in the past six decades. Additionally, there has been no snowfall this winter, which is essential for replenishing an aquifer that has been heavily depleted due to overexploitation.
The Agricultural Catastrophe
The crisis affecting Tenerife’s farming sector is not only limited to water scarcity. The Government of Canarias recently approved a declaration of a catastrophic situation in the agricultural sector as a consequence of a forest fire that affected 12 out of the island’s 31 municipalities last August. This wildfire caused significant damage, particularly to chestnut crops and temperate fruits such as apples, pears, and plums. The damages to agricultural infrastructure were valued at 1,037,740 euros. This added further strain to the agricultural sector, already reeling from the prolonged drought. The crisis in the primary sector is here, and the priority now is to alleviate its impact.
