Ecologists in Action Lanzarote asks that "as a result of the current chaos of desertions and resignations by private entities, as well as failed concessions in Arrecife, Tías and Yaiza, by Canal Gestión Lanzarote, the competent administrations consider that the integral water cycle (collection, sanitation, distribution and purification) returns to public hands and consider remunicipalization as an effective and lasting solution to the current situation of instability".
According to the environmental group, now that "lucrative entities are abandoning the ship", we are at a key moment to reflect on the human right to water, declared by the UN in 1993, and the need to guarantee public, efficient and transparent management of the integral urban water cycle, emphasizing the principles of governance, citizen participation and transparency.”
Ecologists in Action Lanzarote recalls that private water management on the island is not the “natural model”, but quite the opposite. “Private water management on the island has only been present for a few years and there are many examples of successful “reinternalization” or “remunicipalization”, or return to public hands, such as Berlin, Paris or Valladolid, to mention a few.”.[1] “The municipalization of urban water management responds to a decision aimed at achieving more efficient, transparent and economically sustainable management.”
On the one hand, the environmental group affirms that the right to water has been declared by the UN as an essential human right for a dignified life. Furthermore, according to the latest reports from the UN Special Rapporteur on the human rights to drinking water and sanitation, Pedro Arrojo-Agudo, there is already data to affirm that "public water management is better than private management".
On the other hand, the current climate change scenario with greater frequency and severity of extreme events (droughts, floods, heat waves, etc.) requires public management of the integral water cycle since this management allows long-term planning, flexibility and investment that this reality demands. “Continuing with the water privatization model in Lanzarote represents embracing the logic of business profit over the general interest.”