Tenerife’s Insular Water Council has identified 27 areas at significant risk of flooding, covering 101 kilometres of riverbeds across 16 municipalities. This detailed mapping aims to assess real flood threats, pinpointing affected zones and their potential impact on residents and property, which will help in planning preventative measures. The assessment also includes historical flooding events.
Certain areas, like the Barranco de San Juan in Guía de Isora, the Barranco de Santos in La Laguna, and the Barranco Agua de Dios in Tegueste, are identified as having a very high potential for flooding.
Following updates to flood risk maps, the number of identified risk areas has increased from eight to 19, while two existing areas have been expanded. Coastal risk areas remain at 35.
These updated documents will be available for public consultation for three months, allowing residents to submit suggestions and observations. They not only highlight potential flood risk zones but also map out the associated hazards and possible consequences for people, the environment, and economic activities over various timeframes—10, 100, and 500 years—which are colour-coded on the maps.
This new assessment, which significantly expands previous flood risk zones established between 2015 and 2027, reflects the need for a thorough review based on recent hydraulic modelling work.
The Cabildo of Tenerife noted that this initiative enhances understanding of flood risks using advanced technologies, including drone surveys and LiDAR, which provide high-resolution digital terrain models and reduce uncertainties in conventional models. The initiative includes two-dimensional hydrological and hydraulic modelling to analyse water behaviour and flood-prone areas under different scenarios.
Blanca Pérez, the insular councillor for Natural Environment, Sustainability, Security, and Emergencies, stated that the public consultation represents a significant step in identifying flood risks and improving response planning. The efforts form a precursor to developing a Flood Risk Management Plan, as mandated by European regulations that require updates every six years.
