title: Groundwater intensive exploitation and mining in Gran Canaria and Tenerife, Canary Islands, Spain: Hydrogeological, environmental, economic and social aspects.
abstract: Intensive exploitation and continuous consumption of groundwater reserves (groundwater mining) have been real facts for decades in arid and semiarid areas. A summary of experience in the hydrogeological, economic, social and ethical consequences of groundwater intensive and mining exploitation in Gran Canaria and Tenerife Islands, in the Canarian Archipelago, is presented. Groundwater abstraction is less than recharge, but a significant outflow of groundwater to the sea cannot be avoided, especially in Tenerife, due to its younger volcanic coastal formations. Consequently, the intensive aquifer groundwater development by means of wells and water galleries (tunnels) has produced a groundwater reserve depletion of about 2km(3). Should current groundwater abstraction cease, the recovery time to close-to-natural conditions is from decades to one century, except in the mid and high elevations of Tenerife, where this recovery is not possible as aquifer formations will remain permanently drained by the numerous long water galleries. The socio-economic circumstances are complex due to a long standing history of water resources exploitation, successive social changes on each island, and well-established groundwater water trading, with complex relationships that affect water governance and the resulting ethical concerns. Gran Canaria and Tenerife are in an advanced groundwater exploitation stage and have a large water demand. They are good examples that allow drawing guidelines to evaluate groundwater development on other small high islands. After presenting the hydrogeological background, the socio-economic results are discussed to derive general knowledge to guide on water governance.
authors.affiliation: Groundwater Hydrology Group, Department of Civil Engineering and Environment, Technical University of Catalonia (UPC), Jordi Girona, 1-3, 08034 Barcelona, Spain. Electronic address: emilio.custodio@upc.edu.
authors.forename: Emilio
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Custodio
authors.affiliation: Departamento de Física (GEOVOL), Universidad de Las Palmas de Gran Canaria, 35017 Las Palmas de Gran Canaria, Spain. Electronic address: mcarmen.cabrera@ulpgc.es.
authors.forename: María Del Carmen
authors.initials: Mdel C
authors.lastname: Cabrera
authors.affiliation: Hydrogeological Consulting, c/ Moreiba, 238111 Santa Cruz de Tenerife, Spain. Electronic address: rponcela_geo@yahoo.es.
authors.forename: Roberto
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Poncela
authors.affiliation: Hydrogeological Consulting, 38001, Santa Cruz de Tenerife, Spain. Electronic address: lpugmig@gmail.com.
authors.forename: Luis-Olavo
authors.initials: LO
authors.lastname: Puga
authors.affiliation: Hydrogeological Consulting, c/ Moreiba, 238111 Santa Cruz de Tenerife, Spain. Electronic address: elzbietaskupien@telefonica.net.
authors.forename: Elzbieta
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Skupien
authors.affiliation: Departamento de Economía y Dirección de Empresas, Universidad de Alcalá (UAH), Plaza de la Victoria, 2, 28802 Alcalá de Henares, Spain. Electronic address: alberto.delvillar@uah.es.
authors.forename: Alberto
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Del Villar
mesh_terms: D004784:Environmental Monitoring; D060587:Groundwater; D062312:Islands; D008906:Mining; D012959:Socioeconomic Factors; D013030:Spain; D062066:Water Resources / Q000600:supply & distribution*; D014881:Water Supply / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D060986:Water Wells
keywords: Gran Canaria; Groundwater mining; Intensive aquifer exploitation; Reserve depletion; Tenerife; Water governance; Water socio-economics