El Cabildo de Tenerife revisa Plan Hidrológico y prorroga emergencia hídrica
The Insular Water Council of Tenerife, an organization dependent on the Cabildo of Tenerife, has initiated the process of revising the Hydrological Plan of the Tenerife Hydrographic Demarcation for the fourth planning cycle, which will cover the period 2027-2033.
This update is framed within the regulations established by the European Union Water Framework Directive and Royal Decree 907/2007, of July 6, which regulates hydrological planning in Spain.
The Hydrological Plan of Tenerife is a dynamic document that is reviewed every six years to evaluate and improve the management of the island’s water resources, as indicated by the corporation in a note.
Its update allows for constant monitoring of the state of water bodies and protected areas, adapting to new environmental and social needs.
The current cycle, approved in September 2023, will be valid until 2027, while the new planning is in its initial phase.
The Councilor for Natural Environment, Sustainability, Security, and Emergencies, Blanca Pérez, points out that the revision of the Tenerife Hydrological Plan is «fundamental» to ensure sustainable and efficient management of water resources on the island.
«The plan will allow us to work with the entire sector to seek solutions for the midlands of Tenerife. The water-energy combination must be present in the future Hydrological Plan given that the decrease in the aquifer forces us to use industrial waters, both regenerated and desalinated. Energy is a fundamental issue that will impact the price of water, both urban and for the support of the agricultural sector, so it must be anticipated in the next plan,» she comments.
Blanca Pérez also explains that «the participation of citizens and local entities in the public consultation will enrich the process, ensuring that the decisions taken respond to the current and future demands of the island.»
Thus, the Insular Water Council of Tenerife has initiated the procedure, which will involve 18 months of public consultation and participation, ensuring that the final Plan reflects the needs and concerns of the community before its final approval, expected by the end of 2027.
The review includes a set of initial documents with the work program of the process, a planned schedule, a general study on the hydrographic demarcation, and strategies for consultation and public participation.
This documentation has been updated with the most recent sources of information and current regulations, incorporating improvements in demand estimates, the hydrochemical characterization of water bodies, and surface hydrological models.
In addition, the Insular Water Council of Tenerife presented on Thursday the ‘Review of the Preliminary Flood Risk Assessment (EPRI) of the Tenerife Hydrographic Demarcation’ corresponding to the third planning cycle (2027-2023).
This document, prepared in compliance with Directive 2007/60/EC and Royal Decree 903/2010, aims to update and manage the current PGRI approved in September 2023, which will contain flood risks, both rainfall and coastal, on the island, in order to mitigate their negative consequences.
The analysis concludes that for now, there is no need to modify the areas of Significant Potential Flood Risk (ARPSIs) defined in the second cycle, although this could change as the studies for the preparation of the current plan progress over the next few months, especially considering the need to continue evaluating the impact of climate change.
PROROGATION OF THE DECLARATION OF WATER EMERGENCY
The General Assembly of the Insular Water Council of Tenerife also approved this Thursday the extension of the Water Emergency Declaration for eight months, thus extending its effects until the end of October.
INSUFFICIENT RAINFALL
The decision was made after analyzing technical reports indicating that the rains are insufficient due to the increase in water consumption for supply and agriculture and the decrease in aquifers due to the extreme drought affecting the island in recent years.
The Water Emergency Declaration was decreed on May 29, 2024, for a period of six months and was extended for three more months – until February 28.
This extension was conditioned on the possible arrival of significant rains, which would allow for an early end to the Water Emergency Declaration, but this situation has not occurred.
Blanca Pérez explains that the island has been experiencing 200 weeks of «extreme drought» and it is necessary to extend the Water Emergency Declaration.
«We have already implemented the majority of the 75 measures planned to ensure supply and mitigate drought, and in the coming months, we will have about 50,000 cubic meters of water per day, that is, we will practically triple the water production since the emergency was declared in May of last year. However, meteorological conditions continue to be unfavorable after a winter lacking in rains, so the Insular Water Council of Tenerife is already studying new measures, in addition to those included in the Water Emergency Declaration,» she comments.
FUENTE
