The City Council of Puerto de la Cruz has offered itself as the official headquarters of the Volcanological Institute of the Canary Islands (involcan), an offer that is based on “multiple arguments that have to do not only with the history that unites this city with the institution, but also with social, geographic and economic arguments that make Puerto de la Cruz the ideal enclave for an institution that, with the recent volcanic eruption on the island of La Palma, it becomes even more important, if possible”, the Porto City Council said yesterday.
To establish this official headquarters from El Puerto de la Cruz, “the city makes itself available to the Government of the Canary Islands and also to the Cabildo de Tenerife to enable all channels of collaboration when it comes to facilitating the steps that must be taken to find a worthy space and according to the importance of Involcan and its research for the future of the Canary Islands”. According to the City Council, “in the same way that the current State Government wishes to follow a model of decentralization of State bodies outside of Madrid, as has been publicly announced, we believe that the Government of the Canary Islands and the Council of Tenerife It must follow this example and ensure that its dependent entities are not only located in the metropolitan areas of the two central islands, but also in other areas such as the municipality of El Puerto de la Cruz, where the Involcan headquarters must return.
“Furthermore, on the island of Tenerife is the Teide volcano, declared by the International Association of Volcanology (IAVCEI) and UNESCO as one of the 16 volcanoes of the decade due to its history of eruptions and its proximity to densely populated areas likely to cause a disaster. This selection of the 16 most dangerous volcanoes in the world was born as a consequence of the International Decade for Natural Disaster Reduction (1990-1999) declared by the United Nations General Assembly”, defends the Consistory.
The City Council adds in its argument that “Involcan is not only dedicated to volcanic surveillance but also to other work related to the promotion of geotourism in order to contribute to the diversification of the tourist offer. This line of work, which opens a window of opportunity for the municipality and the islands in general, is of great interest since Puerto de la Cruz is the pioneer city of tourism in the Canary Islands, with tourism also closely linked to nature” .
