DS#4 - "Canary Islands" (Spain)

"Canary Islands" (Spain)

The demonstration site in the Canary Islands: Tenerife, Gran Canaria, Fuerteventura. The island is in the biogeographical region Macronesia. The activities are located in three separate sites and at each site different NBS will be implemented. The sites have the following characteristics:

• Tenerife (DS#4TEN): urban
• Gran Canaria (DS#4GC): urban and natural reserve
• Fuerteventura (DS#4FUE): rural

The Canary Islands are an outermost European region located in the Atlantic Ocean, 1400 km from the European mainland, with a Subtropical climate.

The Canary Islands, a highly touristic territory with a population of 2 million people spread across its 8 islands, face unique challenges when it comes to resources management. These volcanic islands heavily rely on their aquifers and desalination of seawater to meet their freshwater needs due to their limited natural water sources. With such high demand, the availability of land for infrastructure development is a constant challenge. As a result, the growing necessity for green infrastructure and sustainable urban planning is becoming increasingly evident in this region.

© Alejandro García-Gil (IGME-CSIC)

Implementing NBS successfully to achieve the following improvements on each island:

1- Tenerife (DS#4TEN): Enhance the city's response to runoff and reducing flood risk. Enhancing the biodiversity potential amenity of the location through the creation of the Floodable Park of La Vega.

2- Gran Canaria (DS#4GC): Improve the water quality of surface runoff and potential Combined Sewer Overflows (CSO) from sewer network reaching the Maspalomas Pond through SUDS implementation.

3- Fuerteventura (DS#4FUE): Improve water quality using regenerated water for aquifer recharge through the implementation of natural treatment systems.

Ambition during the project 

Tenerife (DS#4TEN): Implement a novel approach to flood management in endorreic areas using flooding parks as an effective measure, addressing both surface water flooding and groundwater inundation.

Gran Canaria (DS#4GC): Improve the quality of Maspalomas pond, increase the permeability and the biodiversity of Maspalomas basin through Sustainable Urban Drainage Systems (SUDS).

Fuerteventura (DS#4FUE): Be the first aquifer recharge pilot in the Canary Islands through Natural Wetland Treatment.

Ambition after the project 

Tenerife (DS#4TEN): The Floodable Park will remain operational for La Laguna municipality. Elaboration of Best Practices guidelines and organisation of a wide dissemination to achieve replicability within the island.

Gran Canaria (DS#4GC): The SUDS implemented will remain operational, and more SUDS proposals defined within the project could be implemented by the municipality. Establish a long term NBS strategy approach with the local communities. Elaboration of Best Practices guidelines and organisation of a wide dissemination to achieve replicability within the island.

Fuerteventura (DS#4FUE): Elaboration and dissemination of best practice guidelines to achieve the applicability in other rural areas.