In response to an escalating water crisis, the General Board of the Insular Water Council of the Canary Islands has declared an initial six-month water emergency for the islands of Lanzarote and La Graciosa. The resolution, passed by majority vote yesterday (Friday), aims to address the effects of an extreme drought impacting the islands.
The decision was made under the provisions of Article 107 of the Canary Islands Water Law and Article 198 of the Public Hydraulic Domain Regulation of the Canary Islands, as confirmed by the Cabildo in a press statement.
The measure received 23 votes in favour, with 3 votes against and 2 abstentions. Opposing votes came from the mayors of Tías and Haría, José Juan Cruz and Alfredo Villalba, respectively, the latter also representing the Insular Livestock Association.
The mayors of Yaiza, Oscar Noda, and Fermín Feo, a representative from Comisiones Obreras, abstained from voting. Notably, no representatives from the San Bartolomé City Council or the Socialist group of the Lanzarote Cabildo were present.
The President of the Lanzarote Cabildo, Oswaldo Betancort, who initially proposed the emergency declaration during an October debate, hailed the decision. He said, "What some socialists dismissed as a mere whim has now received overwhelming support from all sectors represented in the Council." Betancort assured that funding from the Canary Islands Government is secured, thanks to his efforts in the regional parliament.
Collaborative Efforts to Tackle the Crisis
Domingo Cejas, the Water Councillor of the Cabildo and Vice President of the Insular Water Council, presided over the meeting. He described the decision as a significant step forward in addressing the multifaceted challenges of water management.
Cejas expressed gratitude for the input of the 28 attending council members, representing regional, insular, and local administrations, public companies, agricultural associations, consumer organisations, and business groups.
This declaration greenlights measures proposed by the General Assembly of the Lanzarote Water Board. These initiatives, detailed in a situational report presented by the Council's manager, Fernando Fernández, aim to mitigate the crisis. Erik Martín, the manager of the Insular Water Council, noted during the meeting, “We are in a critical yet temporary and reversible situation.”
The authorities are now focused on implementing sustainable solutions to ensure water availability in the short and long term.
