Manuel HernándezDirectorCanary Islands Water Centre

A Water Sustainability Index

for the Canary Islands

the eastern islands

Up to 1965 an absolute water stress situation (<500 m3/cap*year)

Lanzarote dry farming (Díaz, F. 2001)

Lanzarote 1960´s (Barreto, J.M. 1995)

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0

20000

40000

60000

80000

100000

120000

140000

1 3 5 7 9 11 13 15 17 19 21 23 25 27 29 31 33 35 37 39

Po

pu

latio

n a

nd

wat

er (m

3/d

ay)

0

100000

200000

300000

400000

500000

600000

700000

800000

En

erg

y (M

Wh

)

Water

Population (incl. turists)

Electricity

Evolution of population, electricity and water consumption in Lanzarote

1964 2002199019801970

*) Data from Inalsa, ISTAC and Endesa-Unelco.

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Figure 5: Evolution of energy consumption

per m3 desalinated seawater

0

2

4

6

8

10

12

14

16

18

20

22

24

1970 1980 1990 2000

kWh/m3

MSF

RO

MED

RO+turbines

RO+isobaric chambers

Evolution of energy requirement for seawater desalination

Hernández, M. 2001

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0,00

1,00

2,00

3,00

4,00

5,00

6,00

1988 1990 1992 1994 1996 1998 2000 2002

MW

h p

er c

apit

a (i

ncl

ud

ing

tou

rist

s)

Comparison of electricity consumption per capita

Lanzarote

Gran Canaria

La Palma

Spain

*) Based on data from ISTAC and Endesa-Unelco.

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Tenerife 1950´s (Méndez, T. 2002)

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La Palma rainforest (Hernández, M. 2003)

On western islands, conditions varied from

chronic water stress (500-1000 m3/cap*year)

to regular stress (1000-1700 m3/cap*year)

Wells in Gran Canaria (1980)8/24

CIAGC, 1995

20 km

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�

�

Groundwater extraction works

in Tenerife (2000)

10 km

CIATF, 2003

Private water distribution in Tenerife

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Hernández,M. 2004

Groundwater depletion in Tenerife

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CIATF, 1995

Desalination in 2000

Total water useDesalinated waterN

*) Working document of the Water Resources Plan of the Canary Islands (2001).12/24

0

50

100

150

200

250

300

350

400

450

500

1965 1970 1975 1980 1985 1990 1995 2000 2005 2010 2015

hm3

groundwater

desalinated

reused

reservoirs

Evolution of water resources development in the archipelago

hm3

*) Working document of the Water Resources Plan of the Canary Islands (2001).

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0

20

40

60

80

100

120

140

160

180

200

EH LP LG TF GC FU LZ

L/p

erso

n-d

ayChanges in urban water consumption

19

70

2000

*) Working document of the Water Resources Plan of the Canary Islands (2001).

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0%

10%

20%

30%

40%

50%

60%

70%

80%

EL HIE

RRO

LA PALM

A

LA GOM

ERA

TENERIFE

GRAN CANARIA

FUERTEVENTURA

LANZAROTE

Percentage of wastewater with secondary treatment in 2000

*) Working document of the Water Resources Plan of the Canary Islands (2001).

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Altitude of Los Rodeos: 617 m.a.s.l.

*) Data from the Spanish Meteorological Institute

Fig. 8: Evolution of June´s temperature in Los Rodeos (Tenerife) from

1972 to 2001

11121314

15161718192021

22232425

1972 1974 1976 1978 1980 1982 1984 1986 1988 1990 1992 1994 1996 1998 2000

Máxima

Average

Mín ima

ºC

Evolution of June’s temperature at Los Rodeos airport (Tenerife) from 1972 until 2001

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Integrating data with a water sustainability index

(a Pressure-State-Response approach)

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Canaries Mainlandcomponents 8 8indicators 14 15variables 65 98

*) variable value was obtained by multiplying a

condition/performance score (-3 to +3) by a specific weight (0-4).

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hydrological water balance situation, pollution, water resources conservation

waterworks for water supply and sanitation

technology used, research undergoing

pricing, value added, incentives

water and energy use efficiency

agriculture, urban and tourism

drinking, agriculture, urban, and tourism

education, social and institutional capacity

Components Indicators

NATURAL RESOURCES

INFRASTRUCTURE

WATER QUALITY

WATER QUANTITY

EFFICIENCY

TECHNOLOGY + RESEARCH

EDUCATION + SOCIAL

WATER ECONOMICS

Lanzarote 1950 2003natural resources 9 -10infrastructure -4 8water quality -4 -5water quantity -10 1efficiency 13 -12technology -2 5research+social -4 -3economics 1 3Water Sustainability Index -1 -13

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Gran Canaria 1950 2003natural resources -20 -11infrastructure -7 8water quality 0 -6water quantity -1 -3efficiency -11 -15technology -3 0research+social -3 1economics 9 11Water Sustainability Index -36 -15

20/24

Tenerife 1950 2003natural resources -7 -15infrastructure -14 6water quality 14 -9water quantity 18 -6efficiency -4 -3technology -3 2research+social -2 6economics 8 13Water Sustainability Index 10 -6

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La Palma 1950 2003natural resources 4 -11infrastructure -11 3water quality 9 3water quantity 11 4efficiency -2 -5technology -7 -4research+social -6 -4economics 13 15Water Sustainability Index 11 1

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BOTTOM LINES

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are driven to near exhaustion

improving and desalination gaining ground

needs strengthening

no incentives for water protection and use of renewable energy other than market prices

although improving still low, need renewable

still below demand in most islands

maintained or improved thanks to desalination

more public sector specialization needed

NATURAL RESOURCES

INFRASTRUCTURE

WATER QUALITY

WATER QUANTITY

EFFICIENCY

TECHNOLOGY + RESEARCH

EDUCATION + SOCIAL

WATER ECONOMICS

Some recommendations for improving sustainability in relation to water

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Maintain investment in infrastructure above 40 €/person per year to protect natural resources and increase efficiency in water production and distribution.

Orientate applied research and specialized training in water issues.

Facilitate application of waterworks standards in public tenders.

Implement compliance of water quality standards and control techniques.

Use economic tools to stimulate water savings and application ofrenewable energy in the water sector.

Human nature