Tenerife brings in 'emergency' measures and warns UK tourists 'we cannot wait'

Tenerife has been caught up in a drought emergency crisis as tourists face paying more than locals for water. UK tourists in the European Union holiday hotspot have been warned over the prospect of shelling out more for water than local residents are.

The Tenerife government has announced the extension of the island's water emergency status until February 28th, 2025, following the decision made during the fourth meeting of the "Drought Committee" held earlier today, Wednesday.

Rosa Dávila, President of the Tenerife Cabildo, shared the news during a press conference detailing the agreements reached by the Governing Council. She confirmed an additional €3 million allocation for the island's water infrastructure plan, bringing the total investment to €13.5 million.

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Dávila noted that nearly all of the 75 measures outlined in the emergency declaration have been implemented, with the exception of water usage restrictions, which have not yet been deemed necessary. The Cabildo’s actions are part of a broader strategy to combat the persistent drought affecting Tenerife. The emergency declaration facilitates the acceleration of key infrastructure projects and ensures water availability for the island’s vital agricultural sector.

President of the Tenerife government Rosa Dávila said it has been one of the “driest winters in recent history” for the island. The island is facing months or possibly years of critical water scarcity, experts say.

She warned that the situation remains "critical" and said: “We cannot wait for rain. The current water flow is still inadequate and unlikely to improve. The decree ensures we can provide sufficient water for farming." Mayor Luis Javier Gonzalez Delgado signed an order prohibiting the use of drinking water for filling swimming pools, ponds, reservoirs or tanks, cleaning buildings, washing vehicles, or using showers on the beach in these areas.

"These are measures that the government group adopts from a position of responsibility, it is not a matter that has to do with good or bad management, but with the worsening of an anomalous meteorological situation," the Mayor told Spanish newspaper Diario de Avisos,