SANTA CRUZ DE TENERIFE, Mar. 5 (EUROPA PRESS) –
The Minister overseeing Agriculture, Livestock, Fisheries and Food Sovereignty in the Canary Islands government, Narvay Quintero, has put forward recommendations for legislative changes, including amendments to the Canary Islands Water Law, to tackle the drought issue facing the archipelago. This situation has led to islands like Tenerife experiencing a 45% reduction in water availability.
This proposal was made during a parliamentary session in response to a query from the Canary Nationalist Group’s spokesperson, Francisco Linares, regarding the strategies outlined by the Canary Islands government in 2024 to address the irrigation water scarcity on Tenerife island.
During his speech, Narvay Quintero announced the convening of a Drought Table on March 11 at 2:30 p.m., to be chaired by the President of the Canary Islands, Fernando Clavijo. This forum will involve the Canarian Federation of Municipalities (Fecam), the Cabildos, and major agricultural organizations.
The minister highlighted that following this initial meeting, a second Round Table will be organised, which will include representatives from various parliamentary groups in the Chamber, tasking them with suggesting specific legislative amendments in response to the evolving water crisis. This may involve revising Law 12/1990, dated July 26, concerning Water.
Narvay Quintero also emphasised that the Canary Islands government, in collaboration with the Spanish government, aims to invest over 70 million Euros in the agricultural sector by 2027. However, he stressed that the key focus should not only be on financial resources but also on ensuring that the hydraulic infrastructure projects are approved for execution.
Specifically for Tenerife, he mentioned initiatives such as the enhancement and modernisation of irrigation in the northeastern region of the island, the extension of recycled water in Valle de Guerra, irrigation network enhancements across multiple Güímar district locations, as well as the upcoming 13 million Euros subsidy scheme for irrigation water slated for release this year.
SUPPLEMENTARY STRATEGY
On the other hand, Francisco Linares, the representative for the Canary Nationalist Group, stressed the critical nature of the drought situation in Tenerife, which has resulted in a deficit of irrigation water and historically low reservoir levels. This alarming scenario was vividly captured in images taken from space by the Copernicus program during the winter, illustrating the profound impacts of the drought on the island within a single year.
Hence, Francisco Linares proposed that the Ministry of Agriculture, through the Canary Islands government, should implement a supplementary strategy alongside the one endorsed by the Tenerife Cabildo’s Plenary Session last Friday. This supplementary plan aims to ensure water supply reliability, prevent network leakages, promote portable desalination facilities, launch water consumption awareness campaigns, and establish a ‘Drought Table’.
“Given the circumstances, this plan needs to be accompanied by a complementary scheme because a water shortage could spell the demise of agriculture in the near future,” cautioned the nationalist legislator. He reiterated the urgent need for an effective remedy to the water scarcity crisis plaguing Tenerife over the past two years, which has been exacerbated by the recent forest fires.
