Ecologistas en Acción Lanzarote expresses its opposition to the declaration of water emergency in Lanzarote and La Graciosa, initially approved by the Insular Water Council. The group denounces the lack of scientific data supporting the measure and warns that its main objective is to expand desalination and purification infrastructures, instead of addressing the true structural problems of the island's water system.
Ecologistas en Acción Lanzarote has presented allegations against the declaration of water emergency that the Insular Water Council submitted to public information during the Christmas period and with only five days of deadline. The organization criticizes that the proposal lacks a transparent analysis of the causes of the problem and does not include scientific studies that justify the urgency of this measure.
The environmental group considers that this declaration responds to economic interests that seek to justify the construction of more desalination and purification plants (WWTP), relying on the fear generated in the population. According to Ecologistas en Acción, this diverts attention from structural problems such as water waste, technical failures in the distribution network and the impact of tourism, which consumes up to three times more water than the resident population, according to data from the Lanzarote Hydrological Plan 2024.
The environmental formation also denounces that uncontrolled water losses (leaks, breakages, fraud, among others) have increased from 58% in 2019 to 62% in 2021, according to Canal Gestión. In addition, they warn of the environmental impacts of desalination and purification plants, whose waste seriously damages marine biodiversity and contributes to climate change by emitting large amounts of CO2.
Ecologistas en Acción proposes sustainable and local alternatives such as the rehabilitation of traditional water collection systems (gavias, nateros, cisterns, among others), the efficient reuse of water, the development of sustainable projects and an equitable management of the resource. They also advocate limiting tourism growth and studying the potential of the Timanfaya aquifer, which has an estimated capacity of 13 cubic hectometers.
Finally, the organization urges the Insular Water Council to design an action protocol that includes a vulnerability analysis, risk determination and clear measures to guarantee the water sustainability of the islands, prioritizing solutions based on nature and on the education of the population on the responsible use of water.
