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Henar, Alba, Carla

http://www.cuevapintada.com/conservacion-preventiva

The article describes methods being used in order to preserve one of the most important historical sites in Gran Canaria, the “Cueva Pintada”.

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La conservación preventiva es una intervención integral que incide en los bienes culturales en su conjunto. Su campo de actuación afecta tanto a las condiciones ambientales, control orgánico de plagas, así como las de exposición, y en la que se incluye intensidad y calidad lumínica, almacenaje, mantenimiento o manipulación de las piezas y el modelo de gestión de las visitas al centro museístico.

No existen unas condiciones ambientales fijas para las colecciones de los museos, sino más bien una serie de recomendaciones generales entre las que están la eliminación de variaciones bruscas en las constantes ambientales y el establecimiento de controles sobre la cantidad de público que acceda a los recintos museísticos.

El yacimiento arqueológico Cueva Pintada está inserto en el casco urbano de Gáldar, por lo que se ve afectado en gran medida por la propia actividad diaria de ese entorno fuertemente antropizado y que afecta a la Cueva Pintada y al yacimiento por dos elementos: la entrada de polvo en suspensión y de partículas de gases emitidos por el tráfico rodado; y las propias vibraciones que toda esa actividad genera en el sustrato rocoso.

El material pétreo de las casas prehispánicas está expuesto a un deterioro importante por efecto de la combinación de la H.R. del aire y los componentes de dióxido de azufre que contiene el aire contaminado, al penetrar en las rocas favoreciendo su disgregación.

Por ello es esencial para la preservación de este excepcional yacimiento llevar a cabo las necesarias labores de mantenimiento conservación y restauración en las estructuras arqueológicas, impidiendo que el deterioro acabe comprometiendo la estabilidad de las mismas.

La documentación de todo el trabajo de restauración y conservación que a lo largo de más de diez años se ha venido realizando es una parte fundamental de este proceso, en cuanto que será lo que permitirá conocer en el futuro no sólo la intervención realizada, el tipo e importancia de la misma, sino igualmente el desarrollo de la investigación que ha llevado a decidir cuál era el nivel de intervención necesario.

Los datos sobre las técnicas y productos empleados en intervenciones previas hacen necesario un trabajo de investigación que permita conocer con la mayor fiabilidad aquellos elementos, para decidir la metodología más adecuada a las condiciones en que éstos se conservarán en el futuro.

a documentación en el museo se concibe en un doble sentido. En primer lugar, como el conjunto de documentos que reúne la institución, que puede tener un carácter muy variado en cuanto a soportes, contenidos, origen y valor cultural; en segundo lugar, como un proceso, como una serie de secuencias de trabajo aplicadas sobre los diferentes conjuntos de documentos y en la gestión del museo para el cumplimiento de sus diferentes funciones. El museo no solo debe limitarse a contener información, sino a producirla, conservarla, usarla y difundir conocimiento.

El seguimiento y control de determinados factores del medio es una de las tareas esenciales en la conservación de los bienes culturales. La conservación preventiva propugna la adopción de métodos de trabajos que permitan detectar los procesos de deterioro de forma precoz y antes de que lleguen a afectar los bienes. El seguimiento y control de las condiciones ambientales es fundamental en el PLAN DE CONSERVACIÓN PREVENTIVA. Para ello se realiza la Monitorización de parámetros microclimáticos de la Cueva Pintada.

Los últimos trabajos de conservación preventiva en Cueva Pintada

El plan de actuación que se está desarrollando durante el último trimestre del año 2021 se lleva a cabo en las estructuras arqueológicas del área norte del yacimiento y se compone de los siguientes trabajos:

Limpieza superficial: se retiran los restos de tierra y polvo sobre la superficie con brochas y cepillos de cerdas blandas que no raspen ni dejen marcas en las estructuras.

Limpieza de restos biológicos: se eliminan las plantas localizadas y se aplica agua desmineralizada con herbicida al 2% para exterminar posibles raíces. Además, se revisa la superificie y se eliminan manualmente los excrementos de animales como gatos o tórtolas.

Consolidación: se aplican productos adhesivos para dar consistencia a los morteros y suelos. Asimismo se fijan los almagres.

Reposición: se repone el mortero que cubre los espacios entre las piedras y, en ocasiones, está pintado de almagre.

Todas estas labores las realizan especialistas en el campo de la restauración de bienes de naturaleza arqueológica, supervisando e identificando las patologías para analizar y, después, informar sobre las propuestas de actuación que garanticen la conservación de los restos arqueológicos en el futuro.

En el enlace de la siguiente imagen se puede ver un vídeo que recoge varias medidas que forman parte de la constante conservación preventiva del yacimiento en Cueva Pintada.

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La conservación preventiva es una intervención integral que incide en los bienes culturales en su conjunto. Su campo de actuación afecta tanto a las condiciones ambientales, control orgánico de plagas, así como las de exposición, y en la que se incluye intensidad y calidad lumínica, almacenaje, mantenimiento o manipulación de las piezas y el modelo de gestión de las visitas al centro museístico.

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Matias, Naia, Justin

This is important because sustainable tourism would keep nature secure while still giving the islands the economic advantages of tourism.

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Thousands of people will join protests across the Canary islands on Saturday to call for an urgent rethink of the Spanish archipelago's tourism industry and a freeze on tourist numbers, arguing that the current, decades-old model has made life unaffordable and environmentally unsustainable for local people.

The protests - which will take place under the banner "Canarias tiene un límite" (The Canaries have a limit) - are being backed by environmental groups including Greenpeace, WWF, Ecologists in Action, Friends of the Earth and SEO/Birdlife.

"We've reached the point where the balance between the use of resources and the welfare of the population here has broken down - especially over the past year," said Víctor Martín, a spokesperson for the Canarias se Agota (The Canaries Have Had Enough) collective, which is helping to coordinate Saturday's protests across the eight islands.

Eleven members of Canarias se agota have already been on hunger strike for a week to protest against the construction of two large luxury developments in southern Tenerife, which they describe as "illegal" and totally unnecessary.

Members of the Canaria se agota (The Canaries Have Had Enough) movement protesting in La Laguna on Tenerife. Photograph: Désirée Martín/AFP/Getty Images

Last year, 13.9 million people visited the islands, which have a population of 2.2 million. Although tourism accounts for about 35% of the archipelago's GDP - bringing in €16.9bn in 2022 alone - local people say the industry is stressing natural resources and pricing them out of the rental market.

Figures from Spain's National Statistics Institute show that 33.8% of people in the Canaries are at risk of poverty or social exclusion, the highest proportion for any region except Andalucía.

Martín said the regional government's continuing focus on tourism at a time when the climate emergency was leading to cuts to water supplies made no sense. "Demand [for water] is rising in urban areas where there are more tourists," he said. "We've had a very dry winter and a water emergency's already been declared on Tenerife.

"There are going to be restrictions if there's not more rain this month but it's 36C here right now. This is all unsustainable and it means that we won't even be able to keep normal levels of tourism going. And yet the authorities and the businesses here are trying to stick with this model."

Martín added that the housing situation in many parts of the archipelago was also dire because of high prices, low wages, a lack of public housing and the continuing cost of living crisis. "I realised we'd reached the limit when I saw people who were working as hotel maids or waiters were living in shacks," he said.

"Wages are so low that they don't cover the basic costs of living - especially in the current crisis, which is global, but has been felt keenly in the Canaries because we have to import practically everything."

He insisted the protest movement was not anti-tourist, pointing out that many people in the Canaries had known and liked generations of families from countries such as the UK and Germany.

"The problem isn't the tourists," he said. "It's a model that was built around - and with the connivance of - a business class that doesn't want to listen to what needs to be done, and with a political class that serves that business class instead of serving all the citizens."

He said a complete rethinking of the Canaries' tourism model could not wait. "What we're asking is very simple: given that tourism is the main economic activity and the cause of all these problems, we want an immediate halt to these two mega-projects," he said of the Tenerife developments.

"We also want a tourist moratorium that will lead to a study of the load each island can take and which will determine whether we've already passed the critical point. In areas where there's an overload, we want to see a stage of degrowth of economic activity to benefit natural resources. Otherwise, you have an existing model that only benefits a very few people."

Martín said a proper study of the problems the Canaries suffers from could have global repercussions. "This rethinking of the tourism model could put the Canaries on the map as an example of sustainable tourism development," he said. "We could be known for something positive instead of something negative."

Fernando Clavijo, the regional president of the Canary islands, has said his government is already taking action. "All the actions this government has taken have been based on a revision of this model," he told reporters this week. "The Canaries tourist model has been a successful one, but obviously, as with anything, there are things that could be perfected."

Overtourism has become a major issue in many Spanish cities and regions, triggering protests and backlashes in Barcelona, and leading the authorities in Seville to consider charging visitors to explore the Andalucían city's famous Plaza de España.

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Thousands protest against Canary islands' 'unsustainable' tourism model

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Local people say archipelago's outdated industry made life unaffordable and prompts environmental emergencies

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Group Members: Saul and Miguel

Article:Water status in the Canary Islands related to energy requirements

It’s important how to conserve the water and how to control

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Water status in the Canary Islands related to energy requirements

Abstract

A review of the methods of obtaining water in the Canary Islands (Spain) is presented, dividing the islands into two groups: the eastern islands and the western islands. This division is due to the different origins of water resources, with western islands using mainly underground sources, while the eastern ones main source is seawater desalination. Water sources define the way in which water is obtained, as well as the energy expenditure to obtain it. In this review, the energy consumption of different methods of drinking water collection is studied, as well as the resources that make up the energy mix in the Canary Islands. In addition, a projection is made for drinking water consumption and energy consumption related to water use in the archipelago up till the year 2035, in order to observe the expected trends in these sectors.

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Introduction

Oceanic islands have common patterns with respect to water resources with certain specific features, due among other reasons to (i) geological age, (ii) typology of the volcanic island, (iii) average altitude and orography, (iv) type of vegetation, (v) geographical location, (vi) volcanic constituent materials, and (vii) average rainfall (Santamarta et al., 2014). This common origin means that similar solutions may be found to problems shared by the islands, such as guaranteeing water supply, erosion control and soil conservation, as well as safety from major floods and landslides (Hughes & Malmqvist, 2005).

Thirty years ago, hydrological planning in the Canary Islands was about increasing the water supply without considering the environmental or economic limitations, since this resource was necessary at any cost and was the basis of the islands' economic development. The environment was an irrelevant issue in the decision-making process in the field of hydrology. Currently, and with new regulations such as the Water Framework Directive, which is an EU Directive (Quevauviller, 2009), there is a tendency to conduct water management based on demand, giving priority to guaranteed and efficient water resources. Water planning on the islands is conducted through an Island Hydrological Plan, which is the basic instrument of hydrological planning, aimed at achieving the best possible way to meet all the islands' water demands. This is a document that includes all the specifications of the hydrological cycle of each island, an inventory of all the water facilities on the island; establishes the hydrological balance; and estimates the recharge of the aquifer. In short, it is the official document to know the hydrological status of each island, as well as to know the future trends of the island.

Regarding the water resources in the Canary Islands, there are two operating models: the western model (Tenerife, La Palma, La Gomera and El Hierro) and the eastern one (Gran Canaria, Fuerteventura and Lanzarote). In the western islands, water consumption is mainly supplied by groundwater in some cases; such as in Tenerife and La Palma, the percentages exceed 80% of total supply. Groundwater is complemented to a lesser extent by supply from desalination plants, especially on the island of Tenerife. As an exception, it should be noted that on the island of La Palma, there are no desalination plants providing water from the sea to supply the population. As for surface water resources, their quantity is not especially important in this group, and they only have some relevance in La Palma and La Gomera (Table 1).

In the eastern islands, the water supply comes mainly from seawater desalination plants (reverse osmosis). However there are certain exceptions; for instance, in the case of Gran Canaria, there are significant underground resources, extracted mainly from wells, as well as surface resources, stored by an extensive network of large dams (about 60) (Santamarta, 2014). These water resources are mainly used in agriculture. The urban supply, in Fuerteventura, is provided by seawater desalination plants. In Lanzarote, the supply is practically all from desalination with a percentage that exceeds 80%. Lanzarote is an island where agricultural water consumption is substantial, though the urban and tourism water demand is greater.

There are island systems and areas which due to the low contribution of rainfall (Díaz, et al., 2011), between 100 and 250 mm/year, do not have the necessary aquifer recharge to satisfy water demand. In general, rainfall is irregular, from 100 mm in the south to 900 mm in the north of the islands (Gonzalo et al., 2017). Therefore, it is necessary to resort to industrial water production, by means of desalination plants. This implies an energy dependency for water production and high cost that some islands find difficult to meet. Regarding seawater desalination, according to the Canary Islands Government (CIATF, 2015), the number of desalination plants currently existing in the archipelago is 337, with a total production capacity of drinking water (it should be noted that brine production has not been considered in these data), exceeding 660,000 m ³/day, and an annual production capacity estimated at 242 million m ³/year. Of the total production of desalinated water, approximately 70% (462,000 m ³) is used for drinking water supply, 29% (199,000 m ³) for irrigation and 1% (3,000 m ³) for industrial consumption. In the archipelago, the eastern islands (Gran Canaria, Fuerteventura and Lanzarote) allocate approximately between 13 and 18% of energy produced to desalination (González-Morales & Ramón-Ojeda, 2019), whereas the energy impact is lower on the western islands: El Hierro consumes approximately 10% for this purpose (Frydrychowicz-Jastrzebska, 2018) and Tenerife 5%, according to the Canary Islands Government (Plan Hidrológico de Tenerife, 2006). It should be noted that the reverse hydrowind plant (pumped-storage plant) on the island of El Hierro, La Gorona del Viento, has been operating since 2015, and it is possible that this percentage has been modified. In fact, this project has enabled the island of El Hierro to become increasingly self-sufficient in terms of energy, and the model can be exported to similar areas due to the good performance it has shown on the island (Frydrychowicz-Jastrzebska, 2018).

We conclude this section by indicating that seawater desalination should be a complement to conventional systems for obtaining and producing water, and not the basis for an island's water supply, except in cases where there are no other options due to a lack of rainfall (i.e. less than 150 mm/year), as is the case of Fuerteventura or Lanzarote. Moreover, it should be noted that in the case of islands where it is necessary to produce water requiring energy, these energy sources should attempt to be sourced from renewable energies.

Study area

The Canary Islands (Spain) are composed of eight islands and five islets, covering an area of approximately 7,500 km ². They are located, on average, 1,400 kms from the nearest coasts of the European continent (the Iberian Peninsula) and 100 kms off the western coast of the African continent (Western Sahara) (Fig. 1).

Source: Google Earth

Canary Islands belonging to the Kingdom of Spain, where Tenerife, La Palma, El Hierro and La Gomera are the western islands and Gran Canaria, Fuerteventura and Lanzarote are the eastern islands.

The main economic activity in the Canary Islands is the services sector with a weight of 75% of the total economy (de la Cruz et al., 2020). Tourism is the economic driving force of the Canary Islands since the archipelago is the third most popular tourist destination in Spain. Agriculture and fishing are also relevant (1.7% of GDP) (Minondo, 2010). Fruits and vegetables are important exports with crops being mainly vines, potatoes and bananas (García-Rodríguez et al., 2018). The limiting factor in the production of the latter is the availability of water (García-Rodríguez et al., 2016). Regarding industrial sector, this has little weight on the islands representing only about 7% of GDP (CEOE, 2019).

In the Canary Islands, availability of water resources and energy supply can be considered critical, since the population and the islands' economic development depend on these two factors. Water resources must be managed effectively, considering the unique characteristics of volcanic island systems. The main implication of being an archipelago is that the strategies and methodologies used in continental lands may not be valid for limited spaces, due to its vulnerability and dependence in the exterior (Lazrus, 2012).

Agriculture is the most water-demanding activity on the islands (this is valid for all the islands except for Lanzarote and Fuerteventura, where tourism and urban use have more weight). On the islands of La Palma, La Gomera, Tenerife and El Hierro, percentages for agricultural water demand exceed 80% of the total for this resource (Santamarta, 2013). Tourism also represents a significant water demand. In terms of hydrological planning on the Canary Islands, it is estimated that 300-850 L are consumed per tourist per day (Diaz Perez et al., 2018). Depending on the country, this estimation can range from 84 to 2000 L per tourist per day (Gössling et al., 2012), or be lower, as in the case of Morocco, which is between 300 and 600 L (Hadjikakou et al., 2013).

The following sections will therefore study the methods of obtaining drinking water in the Canary Islands and their relationship with the energy they demand. In addition, predictions have been made of what energy consumption on the islands is expected to be like in the coming years and how this may change our water model.

Desalination vs reuse

In the 1970s, desalinating 1 m ³ of water required energy consumption of 22 kWh (Latorre Carrión, 2004). Nevertheless, the application of new techniques has nowadays managed to reduce energy consumption to 2 kWh/m ³ (Naredo, 2007), and reaching values of 1.06 kWh/m ³ at the present time (Gómez-Gotor et al., 2018). Despite this, some authors consider that instead of using desalination as solution to a lack of water (Aguilera-Klink et al., 2000), it would be less costly, in ecological terms, to undertake better management of water demand since "it is cheaper to save 1 m ³ than to produce it". In fact, Naredo ( 2003) recognizes that "it is not very promising to support the future of water supply from the desalination of seawater reliant on oil" since it is known that the days of cheap oil reserves are counted. In the Canary Islands, 87% of energy used for desalination comes from oil, followed by residual steam (13%) and wind power (0.02%) (Romero-Ternero et al., 2005). Despite the fact that renewable energy covered 17.6% of the electricity demand in the Canary Islands in 2020 (data from the Government of the Canary Islands), there are still few desalination plants that operate self-sufficiently with renewable energies, less than 1% of the total installed in the Canary Islands (Padrón et al., 2019). In addition to energy consumption, the discharge of brine resulting from desalination is another serious drawback of this water production system (Kress et al., 2020). Studies have been carried out to analyse the tolerance of plants and marine animals to this excess salt, demonstrating its negative effects (Gacía & Ballesteros, 2001). However, it has been found that after 25 m away from the coast, the dilution of the brine is practically total.

Furthermore, the process of wastewater treatment and subsequent reuse (defined by Azqueta and Ferreiro ( 1994) as a "structural system of hydrological planning" may represent a significant decrease in the water supply.

Introduction to energy production systems in the Canary Islands

As a target for 2050, the European Union has set itself the goal of achieving an 80-95% reduction in greenhouse gas emissions (Connolly et al., 2016), adding a further target that renewable energies should cover 20% of total energy consumption by 2020. In Spain, the percentage covered by renewable energies within the country's energy mix is 33% (Ruiz-Romero et al., 2013), which means that Spain still shows a great dependence on oil. Energy in the Canary Islands is mostly produced by thermoelectric power plants (Schallenberg-Rodríguez et al., 2014) (Fig. 2). The archipelago produces all the electrical energy it consumes (Table 2), and the most demanding sectors are those areas with high tourist concentrations and water desalination plants, whose consumption can be estimated at about 30% of all electricity consumption on the islands (Sadhwani and Veza, 2008).

Source: prepared by authors

Installed power in the Canary Islands (MW), year 2013.

The first energy resource that supplied electricity in the Canary Islands was hydroelectric power. Between the end of the nineteenth century and the beginning of the twentieth century, electricity arrived in the archipelago through the first hydroelectric plants with mini-Pelton turbines coupled to generators moved by waterfalls on the islands of La Palma and Tenerife, some of which can still be seen in the island's geography. In recent times, the Canary Islands have made a firm commitment to renewable energies, focusing on solar and wind energy. There are several drivers that can lead the energy future of the Canary Islands. Some of the most important correspond to solar and wind energy, reversible plants and the potential of the optimization and use of low-enthalpy geothermal energy (Piña-Varas et al., 2014).

The Canary Islands consist of several distinct electricity systems within an overall isolated archipelago. Consequently, there are certain peculiarities in the electricity supply, which is largely supplied by fossil fuels. This isolated electricity archipelago presents certain problems that can be summarised as follows:

(a) Exponential increase in electricity demand up until 2008 and the subsequent drop introduced uncertainty in energy planning and investments.

(b) Disperse renewable energy production centres (several on each island).

(c) High dependence on fossil fuels.

(d) Pressure for the integration of renewable energies into the electricity system, since in 2019 only 16% of the electricity mix of the Canary Islands was covered by renewable energies (Gobierno de Canarias, 2019).

(e) Administrative and environmental difficulties for the development of new electricity lines and energy projects.

(f) Controversy in the location of new power stations.

(g) Complexity and high bureaucracy for the authorisation of new power generation equipment.

(h) No interconnection between the islands' electricity systems and high construction and operating costs.

(i) Low efficiency in potable water supply services (in some municipalities about 50% of the potable water in the network is lost, with the consequent waste of energy in producing water that is never used) (Custodio et al., 2016).

Water-energy nexus in the Canary Islands

Water can be considered an energy resource when it is stored and turbined, even when small hydroelectric exploitation equipment is installed (mini-hydraulic of less than 10 MW). In other cases, where water is the resource we aim to obtain, it can be achieved by gravity, such as the case of a water gallery, which is a horizontal water mine that perforates the interior of the ground to reach the aquifer and drain the water (Santamartal, 2016).

Another important part of the energy consumption in an integral water cycle is the water treatment process. In a wastewater treatment plant (WWTP), the equipment requires significant energy consumption. Sewage water from WWTPs in urban centres located at high altitudes could also be an energy resource that has not yet been exploited in the Canary Islands, as a potential to install mini hydros in a sewer line falling to a WWTP. Finally, with regard to seawater desalination, although energy consumption has been significantly reduced, it continues to be high and very disparate depending on the type of facility, with economies of scale also having an influence on larger facilities and on costs. In this matter, the new energy recovery techniques in reverse osmosis plants, with specific consumptions in the range of 2.0 to 3.0 kWh/m ³, also stand out (Romero-Ternero et al., 2005).

Projection of hydrological and energy planning in the western islands in the archipelago for the period 2016-2035

Water supply in the future will continue to be devoted to the same sectors, and for the projection period, we are considering the same allocations by use with which consumption has been estimated in the years preceding 2014. It will be assumed, for this first projection, that in the next 15 years, there will be no great variations in water consumption ratios, due to the fact that no significant changes are expected in the population of the Canary Islands, the areas devoted to the primary sector and the number of incoming tourists to the islands.

In the western islands, the forecast for general water expenditure is downwards, mainly due to a decreasing estimation of hectares used for crop cultivation and a decrease in the average allocation per inhabitant resulting from the regional average as a representative consumption of each individual. In this way, consumption is dominated by agriculture and domestic expenditure, as has been the case in the past.

The energy consumption for the projected period will depend not only on the evolution of the population, the number of tourists or the number of workers in the industrial sector, but also on their energy use. Normally, the larger the population, the more services, more public consumption, more likelihood of industries with high consumption, etc., exist. However, we have attempted to develop a forecast that is not only adjusted to the overall evolution of the population. For this reason, we have calculated the consumption ratios according to three groups. These groups are the permanent population, the tourism population (permanent population plus tourism) and industrial workers (Table 3).

Depending on the population segment, their influence will be different on the type of consumption in a more direct and significant way.

A significant part of all hydrocarbons will be consumed as primary energy for electricity generation (Table 4). If the electricity generation mix does not change significantly, this electricity production will account, as it already does today, for around two thirds of hydrocarbons consumed. This fact has several impacts, such as dependence on the outside world (Rodríguez Portugues, 2010), and the high economic and environmental costs associated with the extraction of this resource (involving its transport, market price, polluting emissions and environmental damage) (Alonso et al., 2016). This is why the estimate was not optimistic about renewable energies and electric vehicles in the coming years and considered that the use of hydrocarbons will continue to grow.

As we mentioned earlier, one of the most energy-consuming activities in the Canary Islands is water desalination. For this reason, we have attempted to make an estimation of the amount of water that will have to be desalinated in the coming years (Table 5). The percentages used are different, as the growth of desalination is not estimated to grow equally in all the islands. These percentages are marked by the importance of other water resources in the islands, which will prevent a greater growth of desalination. The island of La Palma has not been considered, as there are currently no seawater desalination plants on the island.

We must consider that, in this case, there is the possibility that the processes used for desalination decrease their energy consumption, although this possibility is unlikely, since various publications and organizations, such as the Centre for Public Works Studies and Experimentation, attached to the Spanish Center for Public Works Studies and Experimentation (CEDEX), reveal, "the margins available for reducing energy consumption are already quite small, given that the main Spanish plants exceed the optimal consumption calculated in the osmosis phase by a margin that varies between 9 and 14%" (Estevan & García, 2007). According to a study carried out in the desalination plants of the Canary Islands, it is established that energy consumption has been optimised over the years (Arenas Urrea et al., 2019).

Future prospects in the Canary Islands

The Canary Islands are increasingly opting for a future with renewable energies (Gils & Simon, 2017), in fact, this is the objective of the draft law entitled "Law on Climate Change and Energy Transition of the Canary Islands". There are more and more studies focused on studying the carbon footprint in the archipelago of various sectors: tourism (Diaz Perez et al., 2018; Pérez et al., 2019), transport (Antequera et al., 2021) and desalination (Leon et al., 2021), in order to know the starting point from which to approach the reduction of emissions in the archipelago.

Renewable energy related fields such as geothermal (Perlock et al., 2008), wave and offshore wind (Veigas & Iglesias, 2013) and solar are being explored. The objective is to decarbonize the archipelago, use renewable energies and reduce the dependence on fossil fuels so closely linked today to the production of drinking water in the Canary Islands.

Conclusions

In the Canary Island archipelago, energy and water are totally linked, given that on some islands, the only possibility to cover water demand is through using desalination plants, which, in turn, rely on energy. As tourism and the local population are showing upward trends on the islands, with the islands establishing themselves as a popular tourist destination and a fixed place of residence for many people, it is necessary to establish energy planning that considers renewable energies in order to meet demand. Similarly, water planning that considers water reuse is required. Indeed, it is increasingly necessary to close the water cycle (from supply to reuse) due to decreasing rainfall that directly affects aquifer recharge, which has traditionally been the source of water for the Canary Islands (statements made on the basis of hydrological studies conducted by the Government of the Canary Islands in their Hydrological Plans for each island). From now on, it will be necessary to implement measures to reuse water, either to recharge aquifers artificially or to use this water for purposes that are currently covered by drinking water.

The water and energy nexus in the Canary Islands is key, as anything that affects energy costs will directly affect water supply on the islands, in particular the industrial production of water. According to the results of the projections, the main need, in terms of water consumption, is not to implement policies aimed at increasing water production or production from non-conventional resources, rather the most logical priority is to promote policies to enhance saving and rational consumption.

Wastewater reuse in tourist facilities, for example, should be encouraged as an alternative for irrigation of green areas and for use in closed circuits (cooling of equipment, etc.). In addition, drinking water distribution networks should be improved to avoid losses of drinking water on the way to the end user. Finally, a more rational use of water by agriculture would be necessary to avoid flood irrigation, which requires much larger quantities of water than drip irrigation.

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Acknowledgements

This project has been developed in the framework of the Arsinoe project "Climate resilient regions through systemic solutions and innovations H2020-LC-GD-2020-2".

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Authors and Affiliations

1. Departamento de Ingeniería Agraria y del Medio Natural, Universidad de La Laguna (ULL), La Laguna (Tenerife), Spain

Juan C. Santamarta, Ignacio Calvo Rubiales & Noelia Cruz-Pérez

2. Departamento Técnicas Y Proyectos en Ingeniería Y Arquitectura, Universidad de La Laguna (ULL), Tenerife, Spain

Jesica Rodríguez-Martín

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Correspondence to Juan C. Santamarta.

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Santamarta, J.C., Rubiales, I.C., Rodríguez-Martín, J. et al. Water status in the Canary Islands related to energy requirements. Energy Efficiency 15, 13 (2022). https://doi.org/10.1007/s12053-021-10016-7
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Keywords

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.title
Water status in the Canary Islands related to energy requirements - Energy Efficiency

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
A review of the methods of obtaining water in the Canary Islands (Spain) is presented, dividing the islands into two groups: the eastern islands and the western islands. This division is due to the different origins of water resources, with western islands using mainly underground sources, while the eastern ones main source is seawater desalination.

# data[].attributes.body
Jose, Elena, Lucia

https://portalciencia.ull.es/documentos/5fbf7c942999527df84b2f83

We choose this article because it’s explains in depth and with precise vocabulary how the marine conservation system works in the Canary Islands.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.title
Marine Protected Areas in the Canary Islands – Improving Their Governability | Documents - Science Portal | Universidad de La Laguna

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
MPAs are complex institutional arrangements that should be analyzed from a governance perspective taking into account the serious challenges posed about their capacity to cope with the problems of implementation or effectiveness. In this paper we emphasize the huge and diverse advantages of MPAs initiated by local communities. This trend is increasing lately with the involvement and demands of traditional users, such as artisanal fishers, requesting the implementation of marine reserves. Frequently, they want to ensure the sustainability of fishing activities and avoid the pitfalls of rising numbers of other users. In Spain, many of the latest proposals for Marine Reserves (MRs) were designed for this purpose by local fishers’ organizations in partnership with biologists and social scientists, and some of these initiatives learned precisely from the inception process of La Restinga MPA, the case we are analyzing in detail here.

# data[].attributes.body
Elena, Lucía & Jose M.

This article describes and explains how important is marine conservation is in the canary island. It describes with statistics the influence in-depth the influences of pollution and how that makes a huge impact in the marine fauna.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.readable_text
Studies concerning marine species and habitats in the Canary Islands are scarce and limited to a few meters depth. The archipelago's narrow continental shelf has limited the knowledge of ecosystems to just a few miles from the coast. A clear example of this is that only 0.15% of the archipelago is protected.

The location of the Canary Islands also makes it interesting from the perspective of international commercial fishing because it is the Community port nearest to Western Africa and the Atlantic area, where important shark fisheries are carried out. The activity is not always legal in ports like La Palma, where landings from trawlers and large longliners from various countries do not always guarantee the sustainability of the fishery.

Oceana and Fundación Biodiversidad carried out a campaign in 2009 on board the Oceana Ranger, during which time fascinating ecosystems and never-before-seen species were discovered in waters of the archipelago. Over the course of the campaign, professional divers equipped with underwater camera equipment completed various shallow dives along the coast. In deeper waters and on seamounts far from the coast, like Amanay and Banquete or the Sahara seamounts south of the archipelago, Oceana used an underwater robot (ROV) capable descending to a depth of 700 meters to film existing marine species and habitats.

Oceana collaborated with experts and scientists from the archipelago to analyse the information and identify the documented species. After completing the study, Oceana and Fundación Biodiversidad proposed protection for new areas (Spanish), which means 15% of the archipelago's marine areas would be protected.

One of the 42 measures is the collaboration between Oceana, and other entities such as Ecoocéanos, Oceanográfica, Plataforma para la Defensa del Litoral del Sureste de Gran Canaria, UNESCO or Universidad de Las Palmas de Gran Canaria to declare the "Micro Arinaga Marine Protected Area" in Gran Canaria island. The space proposed would include a small strip of sea from Punta de Sal to Playa del Cabron, with an area of approximately 132 acres (1.32 km2) in the northern boundary of the Special Area of Conservation, Playa del Cabron. The Marine Micro- Area would aim to enhance the conservation of natural resources of the municipality by fostering sustainable uses and activities.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
Studies concerning marine species and habitats in the Canary Islands are scarce and limited to a few meters depth. The archipelago's narrow continental shelf has limited the knowledge of ecosystems to just a few miles from the coast. A clear example of this is that only 0.15% of the archipelago is protected.

# data[].attributes.body
Carla, Alba, Henar

This article helps us investigate the negative and positive repercussions regarding Canary Islands' heritage.

# data[].attributes.headline
Canary Islands' towards renewable energy sources such as wind, solar, and geothermal power.

# data[].attributes.subject
Canary Islands' towards renewable energy sources such as wind, solar, and geothermal power.

# data[].attributes.body
Group : Felicia Villamagna and Sydney Micheli

Websites used ( 1) : https://elib.dlr.de/109766/1/Gils_Carbon-neutral_Canary_Islands_rev1.pdf

It talks about some methods and ways the Canary Islands are using renewable energy.

Website used (2): https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Renewable_Energy_in_the_Canary_Islands#:~:text=Main%20policies%20and%20initiatives%3A,2030%20and%20100%25%20by%202050.

It explains what types of energy are used for this project

Video Link: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eG4Q4kXal_U

It talks about the project of renewable energy en El Hierro and what the project consist about and how it works.

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Renewable energy on El Hierro | DW English

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Paloma Baggio, Maggy Forrest

Link : https://www.hellocanaryislands.com/nature-spaces/lanzarote/the-protected-landscape-of-la-geria/

Sentence : The most recent volcanic eruption on Gran Canaria occurred about 2,000 years ago at Bandama crater, in the northeast part of the island.

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A volcanic landscape unique in the world

How can an island as dry as Lanzarote produce excellent white wines and sweet wines? The answer is the "geria", a cone-shaped hollow excavated in natural layers of volcanic gravel several metres deep and in the centre of which a vine is planted, a wall in the shape of a half moon is then built around the vine in order to protect it from the wind. Row after row of these perfect hollows which are tinted green, ochre and black result in a most unique landscape and it helps to justify why Lanzarote has been included in The Unesco World Network of Biosphere Reserves.

Wines and wineries recognised internationally

Fruit trees such as the fig tree are also grown in this way, but it is the vine that is the star of the "gerias". In the Protected Landscape of La Geria are several wineries which sell international award winning wines, like some of the better known wines of the malvasia grape. Underneath these spectacular vineyards is another natural jewel, the cave of Los Naturalistas (Naturalists), which is about 1,600 metres long. Take great care when going into the cave and use a good torch to see the numerous small needles of lava which protrude from its roof.

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A unique landscape of cones excavated from the volcanic ash where the vines, used in making the excellent wine from Lanzarote grow.

# data[].attributes.headline
Cultural Heritage Preservation on the Canary Islands - Dario & Valzhyna 

# data[].attributes.subject
Cultural Heritage Preservation on the Canary Islands - Dario & Valzhyna 

# data[].attributes.body
This article is interesting as it explains how new tourist centers are being built all over the Canary Islands and therefore ruin the cultural heritage of both the prehispanic Canarians and the post-Hispanic Canarian populations.

This is relevant in the modern world as if all these macro-projects aren’t stopped the islands will loose all of their natural and cultural sites.

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Una denuncia por audio de WhastApp inició una investigación oficial en las obras del macroproyecto turístico de Cuna del Alma en el Puertito de Adeje. El 25 de mayo la Asociación Patrimonial Tegüico alertó a la Dirección de Patrimonio Histórico del Cabildo de Tenerife del hallazgo de yacimientos arqueológicos en un barranco canario en el que se construirán villas de lujo. El 31 de mayo las obras fueron paralizadas de forma cautelar. Un mes después se supo que la promotora del proyecto había cometido una infracción "muy grave'' al destruir restos guanches. Los trabajos continuaron.

Hasta el momento el Gobierno de Tenerife no había dejado trascender los detalles de la actuación en Cuna del Alma. Sin embargo, Público ha tenido acceso al Informe sobre afecciones en el patrimonio cultural del Puertito de Adeje que consta de 67 páginas. También a las posibles sanciones a las que se enfrenta la entidad que promovió el residencial de lujo. Realizar obras con maquinaria pesada sin supervisión arqueológica, no avisar a las instituciones pertinentes del hallazgo de yacimientos guanches y destruir patrimonio cultural son las principales infracciones a las que se enfrenta la promotora Segunda Casa Adeje SL.

La promotora del Puertito de Adeje se enfrenta a varias infracciones por destruir patrimonio guanche

El mismo día en que Tegüico denunció las obras ante el Cabildo, el organismo aconsejó al Ayuntamiento de Adeje a dictar su paralización cautelar. El consistorio desoyó el aviso. Durante una inspección en la zona al día siguiente de la denuncia, el Gobierno confirmó que los trabajos seguían en marcha. A los pocos días el Cabildo dictó la paralización cautelar.

Tras detener las obras, el Ayuntamiento de Tenerife realizó una segunda visita al Puertito de Adeje el 1 de junio. Después otra el 6 de junio, junto a uno de los arqueólogos contratados por la promotora para hacer el Informe Ambiental, técnicos del Ayuntamiento y representantes de la empresa. Ese día se documentaron los bienes patrimoniales que Tegüico había mandado por WhatsApp y también los recogidos en el informe que los arqueólogos Valentín Barroso Cruz y Consuelo Marrero hicieron para Cuna del Alma.

Incoherencias en los informes arqueológicos

Como ya adelantó esta redacción, desde el Área de Patrimonio del Cabildo de Tenerife se rechazó hasta en dos ocasiones el informe arqueológico entregado por la promotora en el Puertito de Adeje. Tras una negativa en 2014 y otra en 2017, la Alcaldía de Tenerife insiste en que no recibió más estudios patrimoniales que subsanaran los anteriores. Tras la denuncia de Tegüico se percataron de que el proyecto de Cuna del Alma se estaba realizando sin que el organismo insular hubiese dado el visto bueno al informe patrimonial.

La primera negativa del área de Patrimonio Histórico del Cabildo de Tenerife data de 2014. El Ayuntamiento descartó ese primer Informe de Sostenibilidad Ambiental por la falta de un inventario patrimonial y obligó a contar con un arqueólogo para redactar un nuevo texto. En 2017 el Cabildo emitió la respuesta a un segundo documento enviado para subsanar el anterior.

El Cabildo descartó el primer Informe de Sostenibilidad por falta de un inventario patrimonial

Esta vez los redactores del Informe Ambiental aseguraron haber realizado prospecciones arqueológicas en el Puertito de Adeje. En esta visita la promotora aseguró no haber encontrado "ninguna evidencia de materiales ni yacimientos arqueológicos o pinturas". Tampoco "ningún elemento arquitectónico o etnográfico".

En este texto, el Cabildo de Tenerife llegó a cuestionar que un arqueólogo hubiese realizado el segundo informe entregado por la promotora. "Es más, la alusión a 'pinturas' que se efectúa resulta impropia de cualquier arqueólogo medianamente cualificado, por lo que cabe inferir que el citado estudio no se ha realizado", resuelve el texto.

La empaquetadora, un bien patrimonial

En el primer Informe de Sostenibilidad entregado por Segunda Casa Adeje SL a la Alcaldía de Tenerife no se valoró la existencia de posibles elementos arquitectónicos o etnográficos. Frente al mar, en una situación clave para el proyecto se encuentra una nave industrial que sirvió desde antes de 1928 como empaquetadora de plátanos. Para el Cabildo esta nave tiene un valor etnográfico por su uso histórico. Se creó para almacenar los plátanos y tomates cuando las empresas británicas trajeron el sector al Archipiélago.

La nave industrial del proyecto tiene un valor etnográfico por su uso histórico

Esta nave está dividida por diferentes dueños. Uno de los propietarios, Juan Francisco Galindo, denunció ante esta redacción la oferta "irrisoria" de la promotora por expropiar su terreno edificado en primera línea de playa: 12.000 euros. Este informe del Cabildo de Tenerife demuestra que desde 2014 se planteó la falta de previsión para valorar los elementos etnográficos de la zona entre los que se encuentra la empaquetadora.

La Ley de Patrimonio Cultural de Canarias recoge también edificios como este dentro del patrimonio industrial. Por lo que los argumentos en la memoria de la promotora "no justifican la demolición de dos tercios de la edificación con la merma patrimonial que ello significa" para el Gobierno.

Un plan de ordenación hecho a medida

Después del segundo portazo del Cabildo de Tenerife, el Gobierno de Canarias autorizó una prospección arqueológica en el Puertito de Adeje en agosto 2017. En primer lugar, a favor de un arqueólogo que desistió. Luego, a favor de la empresa Arqueocanaria SL, con Valentín Barroso y Consuelo Marrero. Desde entonces, la Dirección de Patrimonio Histórico del Ayuntamiento de Tenerife asegura que no volvió a recibir ningún informe para subsanar los dos anteriores.

Ante la disyuntiva de cambiar alguna parte del proyecto o sacrificar el patrimonio arqueológico la respuesta siempre es negativa para los yacimientos. De ello se percatan los técnicos del Cabildo en el documento al que Público ha tenido acceso. "Muchas de las medidas que se proponen en él están supeditadas a una ordenación ya proyectada y no al revés", recalca el texto.

Entre modificar el proyecto o sacrificar el patrimonio, siempre deciden lo segundo

Además el Informe sobre afecciones en el patrimonio cultural del Puertito de Adeje denuncia que las actuaciones que se realizaron en el estudio patrimonial son propias de la "arqueología de Gestión". Pues, "las actuaciones no vienen amparadas en el marco de proyectos de investigación, sino de proyectos ajenos a ella, de carácter urbanístico, territorial o vinculados a infraestructuras", crítica el mismo documento.

En un tercer estudio encargado por la promotora, Arqueocanaria detectó 37 bienes patrimoniales. 21 de ellos no tienen valor patrimonial o ese valor es reducido para la empresa. Sin embargo ofrece alternativas para muchos de ellos: la rehabilitación y la conservación en las zonas ajardinadas del proyecto, que no se han respetado.

Mientras tanto, la Asociación Patrimonial Tegüico añadió dos elementos de naturaleza etnográfica, una atarjea y la ermita del Puertito, y diez arqueológicos. Entre ellas, tres grabados rupestres que no están recogidos en la memoria presentada por la promotora. Este tipo de elementos son considerados Bienes de Interés Cultural desde los años 80.

Historia desaparecida a golpe de pala

Pocos son los elementos que se salvan de su desaparición total. Los técnicos de Patrimonio del Cabildo no coinciden en las medidas y valoraciones propuestas por Arqueocanaria SL y echan en falta el seguimiento arqueológico durante todas las actuaciones. Sin embargo, valoran de forma positiva la cualificación de las personas encargadas de ese tercer estudio.

Entre los que no tendrán un futuro está la pequeña casita blanca en la que un vecino aronero vive como ocupa desde hace 30 años. Cerca del inicio de las obras, localizada en un lomo junto al barranco, esta vivienda no posee un valor patrimonial relevante, según el criterio del Cabildo de Tenerife y de la memoria entregada por Arqueocanaria SL. La propuesta para l a casita de Antonio es la de documentación gráfica antes de su desaparición.

El Cabildo constató la destrucción de yacimientos arqueológicos

Durante las visitas de inspección la Alcaldía constató la destrucción de yacimientos arqueológicos. Mientras el Ayuntamiento de Adeje evitaba la ley que le obliga a contar con un Catálogo municipal de Bienes Patrimoniales. Hasta la fecha sigue sin tenerlo. Por este motivo, en las zonas ya arrasadas por los movimientos de tierra no se puede estimar qué yacimientos pudieron destruirse y cuál es el alcance de estos daños.

Por otra parte, la destrucción de una parte de uno de los asentamientos guanches que más material arqueológico conserva en el sur de la isla es calificada como la más grave. Este yacimiento no fue considerado relevante por la empresa contratada por la promotora, algo que el Cabildo tacha de conclusión "precipitada y no bien justificada". Los movimientos de tierra que destruyeron parte del asentamiento corresponden a la apertura de una de las carreteras del proyecto.

Las obras destruyeron además una tanquilla que estaba recogida en la Memoria de Prospección del proyecto. No tenía protección ni supervisión arqueológica a pesar de haberla recogido en dicho documento. "En el momento de la visita se constata que ya no existe", recoge el Cabildo de Tenerife. Las obras también destruyeron un recinto de piedra realizado en el siglo XX que se utilizaba como refugio para los agricultores de las tierras. Lo mismo sucede con otros yacimientos de la zona que fueron destruidos de forma parcial por las obras de allanamiento del terreno.

La suspensión de las obras solo se mantiene en este yacimiento arqueológico. El objetivo de la Dirección de Patrimonio del Cabildo es permitir que el órgano competente averigue e investigue para poder tomar las medidas y sanciones necesarias por los restos arqueológicos destruidos. También se deberá asegurar de forma "estricta" la presencia de un arqueólogo. Además, exige a la promotora la documentación de las viviendas que no fueron estudiadas antes de destruirlas por si tuvieran alguna relevancia histórica.

El futuro solo parece asegurado para un aljibe circular que se localiza dentro de uno de los espacios libres del proyecto y para una vivienda en ruinas. La memoria ambiental de la promotora propone la necesidad de conservarlo y restaurarlo sin alterar su tipología e imagen, así como añadirle un panel de información.

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Cómo las obras del Puertito de Adeje destruyeron patrimonio guanche en Tenerife

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El Cabildo de Tenerife considera que Cuna del Alma ha tomado decisiones &quot;precipitadas&quot; y &quot;no justificadas&quot; al destruir restos arqueológicos de importante valor para Canarias.

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Group: Natalia, Ariadna

Interesting article:https://www.canariassostenible.eu/en/objetivos/

The article reflects on its objections that this association has

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Paloma Baggio

Maggy Forrest

It is révélant because the article talks about the protection of these volcanoes from what they were and became

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Fifteen million years ago, the ocean used to spread its blue expanse right over the same place where the island of Gran Canaria stands today. Then, the island rose from the bottom of the sea as a result of the force of volcanic eruptions, as this archipelago was born from volcanoes. The subsequent building and erosional stages gave rise to an astonishing and complex geological environment which lies behind the rich landscapes and the environmental and ethnographic wealth that attract visitors from all over the world.

The volcano, the rain, the winds and the waves came together to sculpt an island of cliffs, fertile plains, deep ravines, black and golden fine sand beaches, natural pools, galleries, caves, stone arches, valleys and monoliths. Such a geological diversity, together with the island's altitude and variety of micro-climates, makes it possible for Gran Canaria to have so many different faces. The island looks very different when looking down the Pico de Las Nieves and feeling the vertigo, standing at an altitude of almost two thousand metres and, than it does when seen from the coast, while hugging the Atlantic Ocean. But it is the same island nonetheless: the heir to the volcano.

Today, the volcano has been a sleeping titan for millennia and we can get near it with nothing to fear. In fact, the island's volcanic heritage is nowadays reflected in its natural spaces which can be visited and are protected as they have been given different protected area designations because of their geological and biological uniqueness.

"The last eruption on the island of Gran Canaria took place approximately 2,000 years ago and gave rise to the Pico and the Caldera de Bandama", explains Juan José Pérez Torrado, Professor of Petrology and Geochemistry at the University of Las Palmas de Gran Canaria. Water entered the eruptive vent of the caldera and the increased pressure generated by evaporation led to an explosive eruption. It was a rarity. "In fact, of the 25 eruptions that have taken place on the island in the last 11,700 years, this was the only one of an explosive nature", points out the specialist.

Sooner or later, a phoenix always takes flight again. "The volcano is a source of creation and regenerates the soil. A lot of ash and pyroclastic rocks -or lapilli- were expelled from Bandama," says Pérez Torrado. The iron, magnesium and calcium deposited fertilised the land for miles around. In fact, its name - Bandama- was given by a Flemish merchant named Daniel Van Damme who bought the land in the 17 th century to cultivate the fields. Nearby, the famous Monte Lentiscal, a wine-growing area, owes its features and fertility to these nutrients that literally fell from the sky.

Nowadays, the Pico and Caldera de Bandama have been declared a Natural Monument and are included on every list of must-see places on the island, particularly in the surrounding areas of the capital city, Las Palmas de Gran Canaria. The trees of this area -mastic trees, wild olive trees, palm trees, dragon trees, junipers and mocaneras and other endemic species, such as white bugloss, Canary tree mallows, morning-glory-trees and Canary orobals- bear witness to the outstanding biodiversity which is found on the slopes of the volcano.

And higher up, where the island pierces the sky, lies the Protected Landscape of Las Cumbres de Gran Canaria, the High Mountain Region of the island where a series of volcanoes that erupted about three thousand years ago are aligned. The Montañón Negro, at 1,669 metres above sea level, the Caldera de los Pinos de Gáldar, where Canary Island pine trees that are over three hundred years old still stand today, Hondo de Fagagesto and Berrazales. Long before that, more than 12,000 years ago, the Caldera de Los Marteles, another geological landmark on the island, was formed.

Inside the Protected Landscape of Las Cumbres, you will also find the Cultural Landscape of Risco Caído and the Sacred Mountains of Gran Canaria, declared a World Heritage Site by UNESCO, which specially valued its indigenous heritage, particularly the way natural caves or caves made by humans in the volcanic tuff were used as dwellings, barns or sacred places for rituals. Birds such as sparrowhawks, crows, swifts and the Canary Islands kestrel share their daily flight over this territory together with the spirit of the Phoenix.

Science has named the eruptive processes that took place between 5.3 and 3.5 million years ago particularly in the upper part of Gran Canaria, the 2nd Cycle or the Roque Nublo Cycle, a stage in which a large stratovolcano reached a height of 3,500 metres before collapsing. During said stage some of the most characteristic and symbolic elements of the island became engraved in the territory, including the Nublo and Bentayga volcanic rock formations, two heroic remains of a time when destruction and creation went hand in hand.

Further down the island to the southeast, in the mid-altitude areas of the municipality of Telde, there is an area known as Campo de Volcanes Rosiana (the volcano fields of Rosiana), perfect for a hike along its loop trail surrounded by the centenary dragon trees of El Gamonal, country estates and the sinuous silhouette of Quaternary volcanic cones, especially that of El Melosal, on whose summit a crescent moon seems to have lain down.

If you walk from Las Canteras Beach, the heart of the island's populous capital city, towards La Isleta Protected Landscape, you will find ancient tongues of solidified lava jutting out into the ocean. They are the petrified claws of a volcano. Some small arches have been created here and there, together with other whimsical formations that catch the visitor's attention and imagination, thousands of years after they were formed. Meanwhile, fishermen's boats come and go, and people dive into an ocean that fifteen million years ago had no shore in this part of the world.

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Gran Canaria, a landscape forged by volcanoes

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Fifteen million years ago, the ocean used to spread its blue expanse right over the same place where the island of Gran Canaria stands today. Then,...

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Invasive Species in the Canary Islands (Alvaro and Markel)

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Invasive Species in the Canary Islands (Alvaro and Markel)

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Link: https://core.ac.uk/download/pdf/188050853.pdf

Sentence: It’s relevant since it’s about how humans introduced and could introduce invasive species into local ecosystems causing the loss of endemic species and changes in the local food chain.

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Marine Conservation in the Canary Islands

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Marine Conservation in the Canary Islands

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(Ammi Hamoud, and Frederico Oliveira)

Marine Protected Areas:

Created in 1996, this reserve has the richest marine area of El Hierro, which has an underwater fauna and flora. There are also important populations of cetaceans, including beaked whales, one of the most rare marine mammals.

Website:https://www.hellocanaryislands.com/nature-spaces/el-hierro/mar-de-las-calmas-marine-reserve/

La Graciosa Marine Reserve: Created in 1995, this reserve safeguards crucial habitats such as seagrass beds and coral reefs. It plays a important role in preserving marine biodiversity in the region.

Website:https://www.mapa.gob.es/es/pesca/temas/proteccion-recursos-pesqueros/reservas-marinas-de-espana/isla-graciosa/caracteristicas/