During the plenary session, two protestors disrupted the meeting to criticize the island’s tourism model and its excessive water consumption.
SANTA CRUZ DE TENERIFE, 1 (EUROPA PRESS)
On Friday, all political groups – CC, PP, PSOE and Vox – at the Tenerife Cabildo unanimously approved an official declaration of a water emergency on the island. This declaration entails implementing measures to secure water supply, prevent network leaks, promote portable desalination plants, conduct campaigns on water usage awareness, and establish a ‘Drought Table.’
Rosa Dávila, the president, commended the “responsibility” shown by all parties in reaching this agreement, which had already received backing from primary sector associations the day before. She emphasized that the council members represent the people of Tenerife and are therefore authorised to make such decisions.
While Dávila was presenting the statement, two protestors within the Plenary Hall criticised the Cabildo’s tourism policies and the industry’s high water consumption. Following a break ordered by the president, they were eventually removed, with Dávila reproaching them for turning the Town Hall into a “stage.”
The activists highlighted that “the island is in crisis” and that the locals are fed up because ‘mega projects’ like ‘Cuna del Alma’ or the La Tejita hotel are causing harm to the islands. They urged authorities to listen to the people instead of trying to silence them.
The declaration will now be examined by the Insular Water Council and encompasses a total of 34 emergency measures aiming to ensure an adequate water flow as the warmer months approach, vital for sustaining agricultural activities and meeting sanitary and domestic needs.
These initiatives include a sizeable number of projects related to pumping, treating and supplying water, setting up one or two portable stations in the Northeast region (Valle Guerra or Mesa del Mar), and promoting the use of surpluses.
Tenerife is currently facing severe water stress due to a significant imbalance in the underground water system and a relentless decline in groundwater levels.
Moreover, the Tenerife Hydrological Plan has confirmed the overexploitation of aquifers and a substantial deterioration in the quality of the island’s underground water resources.
Each year, the island’s groundwater reservoir diminishes by an average of 2.5 to 3 linear meters – equivalent to millions of cubic meters annually – with peaks reaching up to five meters.
Over the past four years, warm anomalies and reduced rainfall have been consistent patterns on the island.
Notably, the island has experienced eight heatwaves and numerous periods of elevated temperatures, some occurring outside the typical summer season. Additionally, the number of sunshine hours has surpassed the climatological norm by over 10%.
RECORD LOW WATER LEVELS
The water crisis has led to historically low water reserves in the basins managed by Balten during the summer of 2023, falling to critical levels below 10%, the lowest recorded in recent years.
Furthermore, there was a noteworthy rise in demand for irrigation water, with a volume 18% higher supplied in the first half of 2023 compared to the preceding year.
The current water situation is considerably more severe compared to 2023, a year when agricultural irrigation supply was already severely jeopardised.
