The Lanzarote Data Center has conducted a survey on the Lanzarote Biosphere Reserve on the occasion of the 30th anniversary of its recognition by UNESCO in 1993.
The department of the Island Corporation in charge of sociological and statistical studies, whose councilor is Ascensión Toledo, carried out the survey during the past month of October, through telephone consultation, and supplemented with personal interviews in the home of the interviewee, to more than 600 people.
The survey, which can be consulted in full on the website of the Data Center of the Cabildo of Lanzarote, provides a detailed view of how the population perceives the effects of this designation in the last thirty years. Through this evaluation, we seek to better understand the achievements and challenges that still persist on the road to the preservation and promotion of biodiversity and sustainability on the island.
Respondents relate or associate the designation of Lanzarote as a Biosphere Reserve with the conservation of the landscape and also with tourism promotion. However, this type of association has undergone some changes with respect to a survey conducted in 2017 by the Data Center of the Cabildo of Lanzarote. The relationship or association with aspects such as landscape conservation, the environment and sustainable development have decreased. In contrast, the association between the Biosphere Reserve and tourism promotion has increased.
Regarding the opinion on the work done by public institutions and social agents, the evaluation of the latter years is slightly better than that of the institutions, but even so, most respondents believe that they have done little or nothing for the Biosphere Reserve. In addition, most respondents (62%) believe that there are not enough participatory processes in Lanzarote.
Environment and Social Welfare
The study also included questions about the perception of the environment, the assessment of services that increase social welfare, the habits and knowledge of recycling and the mode of transportation of its inhabitants.
Thus, the best valued environmental issues include the state of the beaches (6.9), the conservation of the landscape (6.6), the state of the rural areas (6.6), the tranquility and the absence of noise (6.5). However, the valuation is low in the creation and recovery of water storage infrastructures (3.1).
Another aspect addressed in this survey has been waste recycling. The results reflect a generally positive attitude towards the separation of waste in Lanzarote households. Most respondents are committed to recycling materials such as glass, water bottles and clothing. However, there are also areas for improvement, especially in the management of paper/cardboard and used cooking oil. Taking into account the results of surveys conducted in previous years by the Data Center of the Cabildo of Lanzarote, the habits of waste separation in households have been gradually increasing.
Also the fact that Lanzarote is a biosphere reserve implies seeking social welfare. Hence, the assessment of some aspects of this area has been addressed. The best valued social services include aid to immigrants (7.2). Similarly, aid to people for food, clothing, etc. (5.6), support for the elderly, school support (both with a rating of 5.4) and aid to people with disabilities (5.1) obtain an acceptable rating. On the other hand, psychological assistance to people with problems received a rating of 4.5. The service that obtains the lowest rating is aid to people to access housing (2.6).
Economy and quality of life
More than half of the respondents (52%) describe the current economic situation of Lanzarote as positive, either good or very good. In comparative terms, the perception that the people of Lanzarote have about the economy of Lanzarote is better than the perception that the Spanish have about the economic situation of Spain. Regarding the economic situation of the household, the percentage of Lanzarote residents who consider it positive (very good or good) is 66%.
Regarding the quality of life, 20% of respondents believe that life is better in Lanzarote compared to a year ago. On the other hand, 38% consider that the situation is the same, and 42% perceive that life is worse. This perception is more negative with respect to the two previous surveys, carried out before the COVID pandemic.
The main problems of Lanzarote
Housing (39%) is the most mentioned problem and clearly an important concern for the population. Access, cost, scarcity of supply, etc. have made this issue the main concern of the island.
In second place appears the prices/shopping basket (33%), which indicates a significant concern about the cost of living and the affordability of basic products. Immigration (14%) ranks third, with most mentions related to the arrival of boats to the island and the fact that there are many people from abroad.
As for the mentions about employment (13%), they are directed towards precariousness and working conditions (temporary, schedules, poor quality of contracts, salaries, etc.). Public transport (11%) refers to mentions about scarcity or lack of frequency, punctuality, etc. and health (11%) includes aspects such as waiting lists, lack of resources and saturation of hospital services.
The problem of water (8%) appears with this high percentage of mentions motivated by the cuts and quality of supply that are suffered in several localities of the island due to the breakdown of a desalination plant. As for tourism (8%), aspects such as the lack of quality of tourism, lack of control, neglected tourist areas are collected...
Characteristics of the study
For the realization of the opinion study, 609 people (using telephone and personal interviews) of 18 or more years residing in Lanzarote and La Graciosa were surveyed, with a statistical margin of error of ± 3.9%. The results report can be consulted on the website of the Data Center of the Cabildo of Lanzarote at the address www.datosdelanzarote.com, a portal that collects all the statistical and documentary information of the island.
The complete survey can be consulted here: https://www.datosdelanzarote.com/item/encuesta-sobre-la-declaracion-de-lanzarote-como-reserva-de-la-biosfera-xxx-aniversario-1993-2023
