The first actions against climate change in Tenerife, and by extension in the Canary Islands, takes place in Las Galletas.
The coastal areas of Arona are located in the southern part of Tenerife, and these low-lying locations are the most exposed to the rising sea levels. As a result, the authorities are obliged to adapt the lower-lying coastal routes to global warming and the associated rising seawater.
Las Galletas is, by definition, one of the most threatened areas in the south of Tenerife. Residents and tourists there are regularly witness to the consequences of rising tides and the damage they periodically cause to the promenade—particularly, the collapse of sidewalk sections along the TF-66 main road, which runs along the coast and connects this village in Arona with El Fraile and Guaza.
Vulnerable areas
Las Galletas is one of the areas considered to have high cumulative risk, along with 46 others across the Canary Islands, listed in the so-called Planes de Impulso al Medio Ambiente (PIMA), a document from the Ministry of Ecological Transition and Demographic Challenge that warns of the dangers threatening the islands in the coming decades, aiming to make preventive decisions that reduce the impact of climate change in the most fragile areas.
This vulnerability to flooding and coastal erosion due to rising sea levels will make Las Galletas the first location in the Canary Islands to be included in the climate action project, a pioneering document in the archipelago that must be approved by the Ministry of Ecological Transition and Energy. The island council of Tenerife (Cabildo) and the municipality of Arona are also involved in adopting measures to protect and adapt the coastline of this area.
Coastal area transformation
In this regard, the Government Council of the Cabildo will today approve the initial protocol to promote the climate action project. This includes “the relocation of the Avenida del Atlántico—by designing a new inland route—the redevelopment of the coastline and beach—focused on the construction of a new pedestrian promenade that will withstand tidal activity. It also involves the development of protection measures that will reduce flood risks and increase the resilience of the urban area.”
The project will therefore mean a significant transformation of part of the coastal façade, with the expansion of the beach, which will become wider and raised above the current road level. The road’s route will be moved inland to protect it from the impact of the tides and recurring damage. Additionally, a new pedestrian promenade will be built.
Incidents
There have been numerous incidents in which the sea has encroached inland along the coastline of Las Galletas, a fishing village that suffers greatly during stormy days. In September 2023, heavy swells caused the partial collapse of the promenade, leading to the area being cordoned off and beach access being closed. Two years earlier, in August 2021, something similar occurred, and on other occasions, the TF-66 has been closed to traffic due to wave height.
Unknown © Photography
First actions against climate change in Tenerife ©
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