SANTA CRUZ DE TENERIFE 16 Oct. (EUROPA PRESS) –
The Government Council of the Cabildo of Tenerife has approved a new forest fire prevention strategy this Wednesday, which will mobilise nearly 1,000 personnel and volunteers, who will join the expansion of ‘Operation Prometheus’ to oversee the mountains in collaboration with the Ministry of Defence.
During a press conference, the president, Rosa Dávila, revealed the addition of an Army helicopter to conduct night operations and a partnership with the IAC (Astrophysical Institute of the Canary Islands) to integrate the ‘Drago’ camera into the surveillance framework.
She noted that this will be available to the Cabildo’s Emergency Coordination Centre to provide satellite data — currently there is one, with plans to increase this to five — on a “more frequent” basis, aiming for nanocameras to be fitted onto small aircraft.
Dávila highlighted the capability to provide data on humidity levels or the condition of combustible materials during both fire incidents and preventative measures, commending the Cabildo for moving forward with this initiative following the “devastating” fire of 2023 and the island’s dry conditions.
This initiative, involving an investment of 462,000 euros and forming part of the Tenerife Innovation Master Plan, will remain operational for the next three years.
This development positions Tenerife as the first local authority in the nation to utilise satellite imagery and drones for these purposes, and includes technological assets such as the ALISIO-1 and Sentinel-2 satellites, along with the ‘Drago’ camera developed by the IAC, which enable continual and accurate monitoring of Tenerife’s natural environment.
Access to this technology will facilitate the rapid, automatic, and precise establishment of forest fire perimeters and detailed mapping of soil moisture and fuel distribution across Tenerife’s mountains.
This will allow for the acquisition of a cloud-free, comprehensive satellite image of the island, which could be enhanced to six images monthly, depending on visibility conditions.
In the event of a fire, it is anticipated that between five to six images a month during daylight hours and an equivalent number at night could be generated.
However, there will be periods of 7 to 8 days where the ALISIO-1 satellite might not capture images, whether in the day or night; nonetheless, data from the Sentinel-2 satellite will still be processed to augment the information from ALISIO-1, providing an estimated minimum of two complete monthly images of Tenerife.
Within the Natural Environment sector, the Government Council has sanctioned an allocation of 1.2 million euros for the preservation and enhancement of broom vegetation in Teide National Park.
This endeavour is part of a cooperation agreement sealed between the Department of Ecological Transition and Energy of the Government of the Canary Islands and the Cabildo to conduct actions in Teide National Park that fall under the Recovery, Transformation, and Resilience Plan, which is financed by the European Union-Next Generation EU.
The project, anticipated to be completed by February 2026, includes fencing and enclosing areas where broom plants are found to protect them from herbivores and ensure their conservation.
MEASURES AGAINST DROUGHT
The vice president of the Cabildo of Tenerife, Lope Afonso, outlined the agreement reached by the Government Council to allocate a comprehensive sum of 7,587,960.06 euros to projects included in the institutional agreement for the declaration of a water emergency and execution of the emergency water plan for agricultural use in Tenerife.
Lope Afonso explained that “this represents a historic investment aimed at alleviating the impacts of drought in Tenerife, encompassing a total of eight key projects to enhance the island’s hydraulic infrastructure, particularly focusing on the agricultural sector”.
These initiatives will integrate 7,000 cubic metres of water per day into the system, which will collectively increase the daily water supply by approximately 10%, alongside an anticipated enhancement of another 10,000 cubic metres.
Specifically, the projects entail Portable Tertiary Treatment for Reclaimed Water at La Orotava WWTP (2,053,050.51 euros); Tertiary Treatment in El Chorrillo for agriculture in the Northeast Region (an increase of 243,911.09 euros, totalling 805,337.46 euros); Portable Reverse Osmosis Modules at the Adeje-Arona WWTP (1,800,000 euros); Desalination Module at the West WWTP (an increase of 1,795,000 euros, summing to 2,100,000 euros); the desalination of Reclaimed Waters in the Güímar Valley (an additional increase of 150,634.80 euros, reaching a total of 896,248.37 euros); connecting the Regenerated Water Transport Pipeline from Santa Cruz to San Lorenzo Valley with Red Copabona tanks, filtration, and disinfection (800,000 euros); pumping and connecting the Lomo del Balo Reservoir with the Coagisora Network (645,363.66 euros), and activating New Desalination Lines at the Aripe EDAS (100,000 euros).
CULTURE GRANTS
In the cultural arena, the Government Council has ratified the regulations and announced the call for grants aimed at businesses and entrepreneurs for publishing projects in 2024, allocating 80,000 euros.
The grants defined by these guidelines are intended to support the publication of books covering topics aligned with the actions of the Cabildo de Tenerife’s Culture department, including poetry, novels, graphic novels, theatre, art, philosophy, music, geography, essays, and works that popularise or discuss subjects across technical, humanistic, social, or scientific disciplines, as well as historical texts, studies, and anthropological research, in addition to participation in book fairs or exhibitions at regional, national, or international levels where the publishing entity or entrepreneur is actively involved.
Books published in Spanish, exceeding 35 pages that meet any of the following criteria will qualify for the grant: texts published by a firm or entrepreneur registered in Tenerife, works related to the Canary Islands, preferably with a focus on Tenerife, and texts developed from cultural activities within Tenerife, namely those authored by individuals from Tenerife or residents of the island.
Furthermore, the Government Council has permitted the Tenerife Symphony Orchestra to conduct complimentary concerts in occupational and senior care centres managed by the Institute of Socio-health Care of the Cabildo, as well as at the Tenerife II Penitentiary Centre, as part of the ‘Open Music’ Cycle for the 2024/2025 artistic season.
