The report includes losses in tourism of 12.3 million due to the cancellation of almost 5,000 rooms and 2.2% of tourists who decided not to travel to the island
SANTA CRUZ DE TENERIFE, Jan. 8 (EUROPA PRESS) –
The Government of the Canary Islands has made public this Monday a report in which it estimates the economic damage caused by the forest fire last summer in Tenerife at 177 million euros, which affected almost 14,000 hectares of surface in a total of 12 municipalities, being the La Orotava (34.9%), Candelaria (12.9%) and Arafo (12.3%) were most affected.
However, the forest area was around 5,100 hectares and 36% of the total perimeter area was burned.
The document, presented to the media by the president of the Canary Islands, Fernando Clavijo, the vice president, Manuel Domínguez, the president of the Cabildo, Rosa Dávila, and the vice president, Lope Afonso, also details that 71.7% of the land affected rustic era of landscape protection, 25.5% of natural protection, 1.8% of protection of infrastructure and equipment and 1% of agricultural protection.
In total, 5,593 rural plots were damaged, almost half in Candelaria, and only three urban plots in the municipality of Arafo.
The costs of environmental restoration are estimated at 39.7 million by the Tenerife Cabildo, with another 26.5 million in public infrastructure and another 14.1 million in agricultural operations.
The report also refers to tourism and states that there are approximate costs of 12.3 million euros due to the loss of some 11,500 tourists and some 4,900 canceled rooms – 9.4% of the total for the month -, although the impact was reduced to the second half of August.
It is also established that around 2.2% of tourists did not travel to the island due to the fire and that many tourists requested to change their accommodation in the north of the island for others in the south.
In livestock and beekeeping farms the cost of damage is estimated at 11.8 million and in recreational areas another 11 million, which includes the non-use of the Teide Cable Car.
The Executive has also calculated the costs of extinction services, which it estimates at around 10.2 million, at a rate of 726.9 euros per hectare, highlighting that according to Grafcan data, approximately 18% of the perimeter surface was cleared.
Regarding homes, the damage is estimated at 5.5 million, the evacuation, including that of animals, at 5.4 million, the extraordinary supply of water another 4.7 million and electricity, up to 1.8 million. .
In general, the report sets the short-term cost estimate at 146.3 million, but it also sets long-term cost estimates of 30.7 million.
This includes 10.3 million for lost CO2 fixation capacity, which contributes to cushioning the effects of climate change and the capture of water by aquifers, since the Government estimates that they will stop recharging in the next ten years in 8.7 cubic hectometres, which has a cost of 4.9 million.
The same occurs with the emission of CO2 since it is estimated that until August 28, 180,000 tons were emitted into the environment, with a cost of 15.5 million if the EU tax of 84.8 euros per ton is applied.
THE PINE FOREST TAKES UP TO 10 YEARS TO REGENERATE
The report also states that the Canary Islands pine, the species most affected by the fire, is reborn after four or five months, but the complete regeneration of a pine forest takes 10 years and depends especially on whether the affected area was mostly burned.
For this reason, a recovery period of one year is estimated for areas with up to 10% of burned surface, two years with 25%, five years for 50% and ten years for areas with more than 50% affected. .
Clavijo has advanced that the Government will send this report to the central Government so that it can be included in the declaration of a catastrophic zone and he hopes to raise funds from the central Government in the negotiation of the General State Budgets, which will be added to those enabled by both the Government Canary Islands like the Cabildo, to accelerate the regeneration of the island’s mountains.
Likewise, it has claimed to the State that the fire campaign is active all year round due to the increase in temperatures caused by climate change, an increase in heat that advises that the operation of means of intervention against forest fires is not limited to the months summer as before.
The Government has also informed the Tenerife Cabildo of the actions undertaken by the different Government ministries to comply with the environmental, economic and social recovery.
TWO MILLION FOR AN EMPLOYMENT PLAN
By the Ministry of Tourism and Employment, through the Canarian Employment Service (SCE), a subsidy of 2,012,984.15 euros has been granted to the Cabildo of Tenerife to implement an employment plan aimed at reducing the effects of the forest fire that hit the island in the summer of 2023.
This item has made it possible to hire 63 unemployed people in Los Realejos, La Orotava, Santa Úrsula, La Victoria, La Matanza, El Sauzal, Tacoronte, El Rosario, Candelaria, Arafo and Güímar.
In addition, the Government has activated a consumer bonus campaign to promote the economic recovery of the Tenerife municipalities affected by the fire in August 2023.
The initiative, aimed at businesses and restaurants, already has more than 2,000 establishments participating and in fact, the vouchers aimed at the retail sector have been sold out and redeemed.
Led by the Ministry of Economy and Tourism, this campaign has a budget of 600,000 euros with which 54,000 bonds are financed.
Regarding the primary sector affected by the fire, the Ministry of Agriculture has allocated 140,000 euros for extraordinary aid to the beekeeping sector of Tenerife. The fire caused the combustion of hives, bees and producers’ honey reserves, in addition to causing the destruction of ecosystems that support these insects.
This subsidy has made it easier for affected beekeepers to replace their hives and help cover the costs of feeding the insects that have survived.
FOREST PLAN AND NEW DECREE
On the environmental level, the Ministry of Ecological Transition and Energy made readjustments in its 2023 budget after the fires in Tenerife, La Palma and Gran Canaria to release 3.5 million euros and allocate them to consolidation, land restoration and recovery of biodiversity in affected areas.
This Government department has also committed another 900,000 euros for the 2024 financial year for the same purpose.
In addition, Ecological Transition is working on establishing new EIRIF bases, as well as reinforcing the existing ones in La Palma, La Gomera and El Hierro with more resources.
This department has already released the new Canary Islands Forest Plan to public information, a document that aims to establish the forestry strategy and outline the lines to be developed in the coming years.
The current plan dates back to 1999 and the regional government plans to approve this year a new document that updates the essential prevention measures to face the consequences of climate change in the forests of the archipelago.
The Government is also working on a review and modification of the decree on the Prevention and Extinction of Forest Fires in the Canary Islands, to adapt this 2011 regulation to the reality of the archipelago and improve territorial preventive planning.
