The Cabildo is examining the feasibility of utilising fog water for agricultural purposes in the northern regions of Tenerife. The Minister of the Primary Sector, Valentín González (CC), revealed yesterday that “we have engaged Professor Axel Ritter from the University of La Laguna to conduct this assessment, considering the situation brought about by the drought.”
González stressed that “this research is part of the initiatives aimed at alleviating the ramifications of the agroclimatic crisis impacting the Tenerife countryside,” and underscored that “this demonstrates our government’s commitment to the application of innovation and the sustainability of agricultural output.”
The minister noted that “the commission of this research is in response to the findings of a report produced by the Technical Service of Agriculture and Rural Development, which analysed the evolution of climatic conditions across 10 agroclimatic stations within the Agrocabildo Network, representing various slopes and altitudes of the Island over a historical span of 20 years.”
The findings of this report reveal the extreme and prolonged drought affecting the central area of the Island, alongside a similarly extended drought across the rest of the territory. Furthermore, the last two years have been particularly critical, characterised by an uptick in heatwave occurrences paired with African dust, in addition to reduced rainfall and heightened evapotranspiration. As stated in the report, drought and rising temperatures are altering the patterns of pest and disease behaviour.
Valentín González highlighted that “with this diagnosis, it is crucial to seek innovative solutions to enhance the water balance in the most severely impacted farms,” and in this context, “the non-precipitable water present in low clouds (what we refer to as fog) can serve as a water resource through the implementation of fog collectors.”
The harvesting of fog water can supplement the minimal water requirements of farms, aiding to bolster irrigation support, enhancing the quality of irrigation water when it is substandard, and assisting in the preparation of phytosanitary treatments, as explained by officials.
The assignment to the University of La Laguna spans a duration of 12 months, with actions to be undertaken during the study including a measurement campaign with small collectors to assess the potential for capturing fog water; the analysis of the gathered data, the identification of areas with the greatest water collection potential, and the presentation of the findings.
