The water crisis is a clear reality on our islands. No one can deny that the prolonged drought that we have been suffering for years has begun to wreak havoc in many farming areas of the Canary Islands, putting the current supply systems in many of these territories in check, and opening the way to multiple solutions to the decline in the generation capacity of wells and springs.
We have done this by cooperating with the municipalities to minimize network losses or by co-financing improvements in municipal hydraulic infrastructure through the Works and Services Cooperation Plan, without forgetting the resources that we grant directly to the irrigation communities so that they can do the same with their facilities, because the challenge we have with water is a vital issue for this island.
While it is true that in these years we have been preparing with the construction of two desalination infrastructures about to come into operation, it is also true that this cannot be the only piece that we use to tackle this problem, but rather a sum in which other actions that the State has not yet concluded must be materialized, such as the survey of the Barranco de La Negra, in Alajeró; the Ipalán Gallery, in San Sebastián de La Gomera; or the El Altito Gallery, in Valle Gran Rey.
These weeks we have developed a roadmap to provide La Gomera with more and better technical and material means to address this situation. The designed work plan has an investment of 46 million euros and brings together 22 projects in four axes: channeling ravines, water purification, actions for drinking water and irrigation water.
This strategic commitment not only seeks to further optimize resources, but also ensures the coherence in the planning of La Gomera that we want. Just as we do in energy or social welfare matters, public administrations have to ensure accessibility to this precious good and not only for human consumption, but also so that our primary sector is able to maintain its activity.
Overcoming the water challenge requires the collaboration of everyone: local, regional and state administrations, along with the commitment of citizens. Only with coordinated action will it be possible to transform this crisis into an opportunity to innovate and build a sustainable future.
That is the commitment we have in La Gomera with responsible and sustainable water management, assuming the role as guarantor of this essential resource to lay the foundations for a more resilient water model, where water stops being a concern and becomes a strength for the island.
