Yesterday, Rosa Dávila, the president of the Cabildo of Tenerife, announced that the first meeting of the Drought Committee will take place next Tuesday at 4:30 p.m. This initiative is part of the 75 measures outlined in the decree declaring a water emergency on the island to address a “critical” situation of “extreme drought.”
Specifically, the Tenerife Island Water Council’s (CIATF) General Assembly yesterday gave the green light to the establishment of this committee to oversee and disseminate the declaration and the measures implemented, as well as its operational guidelines. The committee will include representatives from municipalities, consortia, public entities, agricultural and business organizations, the Canary Islands Government, the Cabildo, as well as a representative from the agricultural sector for each hydraulic region and the managers of Tenerife’s water reservoirs and the CIATF.
When asked about recent criticisms and concerns raised by primary sector organizations on the island, the Cabildo president mentioned that “the committee is precisely designed to exchange different perspectives and address any uncertainties” while highlighting that the sector “has been involved in all discussions” since the beginning.
She explained, “The aim is for the committee to be a platform for sharing immediate solutions for the upcoming challenging summer, focusing on increasing available water flow as a temporary emergency measure, implementing actions that should have been initiated in the previous term.”
Furthermore, Dávila stressed that “prioritizing the agricultural sector along with ensuring human water supply is of utmost importance.”
On the other hand, the island’s vice president, Lope Afonso, mentioned that the Cabildo has stated its decision against raising water prices for the primary sector and conveyed their “full readiness to cooperate” with municipalities to diminish water losses.
The Drought Committee will convene on a monthly basis for the duration of the water emergency declaration, with the possibility of holding special meetings.
Community Centres
The announcement regarding the meeting was made during the press conference after the Government Council. Lope Afonso also disclosed that the island’s government will invest €15,112,946 in constructing three socio-health centres, creating a total of 181 spaces “by July 2026,” as highlighted by Dávila.
Subsequently, the Government Council reported entering into an agreement with the Canary Islands Government to execute this €15 million investment, part of a program funded through the EU’s Next Generation funds. The State will provide a total of €73.6 million to support the regional government.
These three centres include a residential complex for individuals on the autism spectrum in La Laguna (20 spaces at a cost of €3.3 million), the expansion of the social centre for the Trisómicos 21 association, also in La Laguna (21 residential spaces and 45 daytime spaces amounting to €6 million), and the Guia de Isora senior socio-health centre (comprising 75 residential places, 20 daytime places, and costing €3.1 million). Additionally, funds are allocated for equipment and technical project development.
