SANTA CRUZ DE TENERIFE, 16 Jul. (EUROPA PRESS) –
The president of the Cabildo of Tenerife, Rosa Dávila, and the Minister of Territorial Planning, Territorial Cohesion and Water of the Government of the Canary Islands, Manuel Miranda, have urged the Spanish Government to finalise the agreement on hydraulic projects to address the issues affecting the Archipelago and specifically the island of Tenerife, following their meeting at the island Palace.
Also present at the meeting were the Councillor for the Presidency of the Cabildo, José Miguel Ruano; the Councillor for the Natural Environment, Sustainability and Security and Emergencies, Blanca Pérez; the Deputy Councillor for Territorial Cohesion and Water of the Government of the Canary Islands, Marcos Lorenzo, and the Director General of Water of the Government of the Canary Islands, Mónica Gómez.
Rosa Dávila emphasised the significance of water policy and highlighted that Tenerife has had to declare a water emergency. “We are confronting a climate crisis that compels us to ensure water security for the island and we have the Government of the Canary Islands as a partner. Coordination is key, and it is the Canary Islands Government that must negotiate the agreement on water projects with the Spanish Government,” she remarked.
“For many years, we have been calling for the Spanish Government to finally sign the agreement on hydraulic projects for the Canary Islands. The Canary Islands Government’s negotiation plays a vital role in this, with the seven Cabildos as its main supporters, and we will stand by its side because these are crucial infrastructures for the Archipelago and particularly for Tenerife due to the water emergency declaration,” stated Dávila.
Manuel Miranda noted that the Canary Islands Government has “the full support of the Cabildos and, specifically, of Tenerife when it comes to seeking new resources within the realm of the Spanish Government.” “To achieve this, we require all Canary Islands institutions to stand with the Canary Islands Government in establishing negotiations to reach an agreement on hydraulic projects that will enable these essential infrastructures, including desalination and purification facilities, to be funded by the State and implemented by either the Government or the Cabildos, but always with financing from the Spanish Government. We have been engaged in this battle and negotiation for several months, and we hope, with the help of all the island councils, to secure this funding,” he added.
The minister highlighted that there is a protocol for Hydraulic Projects for the Canary Islands signed in 2018 by the Spanish Government, which allocated 1.2 billion euros over twelve years, divided into 350 million euros annually, and necessitated the signing of three four-year agreements to materialise. He specified that this document had the endorsement of the Island Water Councils and included, for the first time, provisions for water for agricultural irrigation, along with projects for sanitation, purification, channeling, and storage.
Rosa Dávila pointed out that today’s meeting has been pivotal in advancing major infrastructures in Tenerife, such as the Wastewater Treatment Plant (WWTP) in Buenos Aires, where works are progressing well; the Sea Water Desalination Plant of the Northeast (Valle Guerra), which will secure the water supply to the population and agricultural sector of the metropolitan area; the wastewater treatment plant in the Valley of Güímar, for which emergency works have been requested, or the wastewater treatment plant of San Blas, in Candelaria.
In his remarks, Manuel Miranda highlighted that Tenerife is grappling with issues of water purification and regeneration and faces European-level sanctions due to the lack of infrastructures, which are being addressed with the Cabildo’s assistance. “We are collaborating closely on planning, focusing on the priority infrastructures, identifying funding sources, and evaluating the progress of the Cabildo de Tenerife projects. The Government of the Canary Islands will work hand in hand with the Cabildos, and they will be the ones determining the priorities for resolving these issues,” he said.
