SANTA CRUZ DE TENERIFE, 27th June (EUROPA PRESS) –
The Ministry of Territorial Policy, Territorial Cohesion and Water of the Government of the Canary Islands, Manuel Miranda, stated in a parliamentary committee on Thursday that the department aims to have all island hydrological plans updated before the end of this year.
He expressed his disappointment at the Ministry for the Ecological Transition and Demographic Challenge (MITECO) “threatening to freeze funds for the Canary Islands due to non-compliance by the previous socialist government”, responding to a warning issued last week by the Secretary of State for the Environment, Hugo Morán.
“When we took office last summer, only the hydrological plans for La Gomera and El Hierro had been approved, which is a matter of great concern, highlighting the lack of planning we have experienced in the 2022-2027 cycle, and indicating that water management in the Canary Islands has been somewhat negligent in recent years,” stated Manuel Miranda.
The minister explained that within the first year of their administration, the hydrological plans for Gran Canaria and Tenerife have already been definitively approved by the Government Council. The powers of the Lanzarote Island Council have been transferred to oversee the processing of its plan by the ministry, and support has been extended to the island councils of Fuerteventura and La Palma to advance their respective procedures.
The minister emphasised that the Government of the Canary Islands is “fully aware” of the potential European sanctions it may face for the delay in hydrological planning that it has “inherited”, but he dismissed the freezing of funds threat made by MITECO last week as “unjust”, pointing out that the lack of funding has been a contributing factor to this delay.
Manuel Miranda highlighted the collaborative effort among the seven island water councils and the councils to coordinate hydraulic planning. He reiterated the government’s commitment to reclaim leadership in water management and strives to have the three pending plans processed before the end of this year.
The minister also announced that work will commence after summer to coordinate with the seven island water councils for the drafting of the fourth planning cycle, which must be approved by 31st December 2027.
OUTSTANDING PLANS
As for the three pending plans currently, the plan for Lanzarote, being developed by the Canary Islands Government, could see approval by next September.
The strategic environmental declaration was approved in May, and before submission to the Governing Council for approval, it is imperative to incorporate several reports from other areas of the regional executive which have been urgently requested, according to an Executive statement.
Fuerteventura is the second island without an approved third-cycle hydrological plan.
Support is being provided to the Island Water Council for its advancement, as it is the institution responsible for its drafting. The plan was provisionally approved by the Council of Fuerteventura last week, and currently, the General Directorate of Water of the Government of the Canary Islands is working on various reports with the aim of obtaining approval in October.
The third unapproved plan, that of La Palma, “experienced a natural delay due to the volcanic eruption that occurred during its processing, diverting resources needed for its continuation,” noted the minister.
A new document is being finalised with the Island Water Council “to be approved promptly by the Council and to proceed with processing by the General Directorate of Water,” he stated, with approval expected by December 2025.
Manuel Miranda also reiterated that these hydrological plans “encompass all necessary measures to continue promoting the water cycle on the islands, a plan that is unfeasible without the State’s commitment to ensure stable and lasting financing for the Canary Islands.”
