Tourism and Water Scarcity Challenges in the Canary Islands

Tourismophobia grows millimeter by millimeter in the Canary Islands, driven by the massive arrival of visitors and increasingly scarce resources. This August, there is a lack of water inside homes, but it is available for hotel pools.

A contradiction that causes a wave of criticism and reproach for what they consider to be a wrong. The question that arises at this point is whether there is availability for so many people and what solutions are on the table.

The rise of tourism is key. Fuerteventura expects to continue growing demographically and touristically, which may cause greater problems.

The neighbors do not understand why there are water cuts in places like Tarajal de Sancho, but on Airbnb you can rent accommodation with a pool for 185 euros per night. In fact, no vacation home customer talks about drought issues.

Fuerteventura has been in a water emergency situation due to the island’s council for months, and for this reason the Administration will invest 240 million in a plan to renew the production plants, according to the sources consulted.

It is a strategy for the future, given that, in 10 years, it is expected that 38% of the island’s water will be used for tourism and 41% for residents. Golf will capture 10% and agriculture and livestock 10%. And none of this convinces the residents.

The problem extends to the entire archipelago. On any day of high season there can be three million people on the total islands: 2.25 million residents, 600,000 tourists and 30,000 visitors.

Predictions indicate that, in 2033, there will be 2.5 million residents and, in 2050, three million; with which, if there is no intervention, on a winter or August day there would be four million people on the islands.

The source of water goes beyond the rains, which are not exactly abundant. This is desalinated with an electrical mesh on the verge of its obsolescence. And therein lies another problem, with a very complex scenario.

56.42% of the water that is desalinated in Lanzarote, for example, disappears in leaks because they are obsolete and in an increasingly worse state. Investment, those affected agree, is essential to alleviate this situation.

And the energy?

Fuerteventura has 120,000 inhabitants and 70% of the water consumed depends on a desalination plant located in Puerto del Rosario, at the La Herradura plant, which was launched between 1991 and 1998.

The breakdowns on the island have their origin in this infrastructure, although they have allocated 3.2 million euros to improve it. That water has to go to the south of Fuerteventura.

But there are two mysterious nuances to all of this: 29% of the water resources that flow through pipes also leak and their whereabouts are unknown.

There are sabotages to the network that the Civil Guard has been investigating since this year after a complaint from the Cabildo de Fuerteventura.

People on the island observe that the insular territory is filled with renewable energy technology and that the forecast for 2040 is that they occupy an area of 134 square kilometers.

Nereida Calero, Minister of Territory, is concerned about this situation: “We are going to defend the interests of Fuerteventura”, affirms the leader of the Canary Islands Coalition.

The injection of wind energy into the grid on the island, according to the insular energy plan, would be 241 megawatts in 2030. When that wind power is at its peak, diesel engines are expected to generate 98 megawatts of power.

Right now, in wind power there are 28.6 megawatts in the public sector, until reaching 262 megawatts of power for private sector projects.