An investigation commissioned by the Canarina Foundation and carried out by Estudios Sociales Geas 7 warns that the Canary Islands citizenry overwhelmingly perceives that the archipelago's current economic model is linked to the main environmental and social problems of the islands. This is revealed by the Study of Citizen Perception of the Environment in the Canary Islands, commissioned by the Canarina Foundation and carried out by Estudios Sociales Geas 7.
The survey results indicate that 90% of the population considers it necessary to change the economic model based on tourism, and more than half advocate for profound transformations, beyond simple adjustments.
The study also shows broad social agreement on the need to set limits on tourism growth. Specifically, 61.1% of the population is totally or quite in agreement with restricting the construction of new hotels or tourist accommodations.
86.8% of the Canary Islands citizenry expresses concern about the effects of climate change—such as heatwaves, droughts, or forest fires—and 83.1% supports the need for profound changes to guarantee the environmental and social sustainability of the islands.
Housing, the main social concern
Among the main social concerns, housing stands out, identified as the main problem in the Canary Islands by more than 45% of the population, followed by tourism (more than 27%).
Furthermore, seven out of ten people believe that the quality of life has worsened in recent years, a perception mainly linked to difficulties in accessing housing, the rising cost of living, and tourism pressure.
Distrust towards public policies
The study also reflects a critical perception of institutions: two out of three people (67.2%) believe that citizen opinion is not taken into account when making decisions, and 60.1% believe that the Canary Islands are not prepared to face the environmental and social challenges of the next decade.
On the other hand, only 2 out of 10 people believe that institutions are driving changes in line with the environmental and social needs of the Canary Islands.
Evaluation of the Canarina Foundation
From the Canarina Foundation, they point out that the results of this study are the reflection of "social concern and the growing deterioration of the quality of life on the islands", which in turn is "coherent with the repeated citizen protest actions organized throughout the archipelago in recent years".
Thus, it indicates that the survey not only reflects the structural problems of the Canary Islands but the generalized concern that current public policies are not adequately responding to these challenges.
The Foundation calls on public administrations to listen to the demands of the population and move towards a development model that places the care of the territory and the well-being of the population at its center.
“It is necessary for the Canarian institutions to take these challenges seriously, as the transition towards a more contained and respectful model of resources, territory, and people is inevitable", reads a statement. "Either it is addressed democratically hand in hand with the citizens, or it will come imposed by the very limits of nature", it concludes.
Add La Voz de Lanzarote as a preferred Google source.
Stay informed with the latest current news.