21 Jul La Palma Reconstruction – June 2026
La Palma’s Reconstruction: June 2026 Update
News roundup from across La Palma regarding science occurring in La Palma, reconstruction efforts, aid provided to residents and industries, and other relevant news. Links to source articles are hyperlinked in taglines for each article.
Sources for all reconstruction updates: La Palma Ahora, Cabildo de La Palma, El Time, ABC España, El Valle de Aridane, El Dia, Mirame, Planeta Canario, Canarias 7, El Diario, National Geographic, El Pais, El Apurón, Diario La Palma
Reconstruction
- 32% of affected farms have been rebuilt – Latest data from the Minister of Agriculture show that 32% of the farms affected by the eruption have been rebuilt or are in the process of being rebuilt. POSEI financial aid from the EU for banana farmers on La Palma is guaranteed until 2028.
- Latest public housing building statistics – A new website, the Canary Islands Housing Viewer, launched by the Canary Islands Housing Observatory, documents the progress of public housing projects in the Canary Islands. In La Palma, 480 public homes are currently under development: 42 are finished, 116 are under construction, and 322 are pending tender or execution.
- Protests demanding housing crisis solutions – 300 people demonstrated in Los Llanos de Aridane to demand solutions to accessible housing and rent increases in La Palma, which have been made worse after the eruption in 2021. Nieves Hernández, spokesperson for the Popular Party, has written a perspective piece offering her thoughts on solving the current crisis.
- Mental health provisions in reconstruction – In a meeting between the reconstruction commissioner Héctor Izquierdo and Mental Health La Palma, they have agreed that the full recovery of the area relies on addressing mental challenges faced by those affected by the eruption.
- Construction of new homes in Tazacorte – A project to construct 34 subsidised housing in Tazacorte is progressing, and are the first public housing units to be built in the municipality since 2013.
- Deadlines requested for school reconstruction – The PSOE party has requested a timeline for the solution for the Todoque and Los Campitos schools. Both were destroyed by the eruption and had reconstruction guaranteed, but there has been no news on these projects since they were first announced.
- Wrestling arena in Las Manchas – The Popular Party of El Paso has urged the governing group to expedite the reconstruction of the wrestling arena in Las Manchas, which was destroyed by thick ashfall during the 2021 eruption.
- ASEPALMA demands date to finalise financing of agricultural reconstruction – The Association of Fruit Packing, Exporting and Marketing Entities of La Palma (ASEPALMA) have called on the Canarian and Spanish Governments to set a date to meet and finalise the financing and other measures to complete the agricultural recovery of the Aridane Valley.
- New tourism planning for Puerto Naos – The new Special Tourist Planning Instrument (IPST) for Puerto Naos and Charco Verde, announced in May, will contain 2,100 new tourist beds, in high-rise buildings to prevent the obscuration of sea views from the coastal road.
- Perspective piece by Cabildo president – Sergio Rodríguez, current president of the Cabildo de La Palma, has written an opinion piece giving his views on the progress of the reconstruction, and what still remains to be done.
Aid
- Conflict over list of volcano aid recipients – The PSOE party have criticised the CC and PP parties for refusing to share a list of recipients of aid from the volcano. They argue the public has a right to know, and it aids transparency in the reconstruction.
- Demand for implementation of 60% income tax reduction for coming years – The People’s Party of La Palma have demanded the Spanish Government legally implement the continuation for the 60% income tax reduction for La Palma for 2026 and 2027. This was assured in last April, but the legal implementation still has not been completed.
The People’s Party of La Palma demands that the Government guarantee the 60% personal income tax (IRPF) discount. El Time (2026)
Science
- Tierra Bonita file complaint over INVOLCAN not publishing data – The Tierra Bonita association have filed a complaint with the Transparency Commissioner of the Canary Islands, against INVOLCAN and the Tenerife Island Council, for refusing to publish INVOLCAN’s monitoring data in real time. Tierra Bonita initially demanded this was done in May, as INVOLCAN is in receipt of public funding for its volcano monitoring, and the Tenerife Island Council had agreed in March that the population should have access to live volcano monitoring data.
- First microorganisms identified in 2021 lava tubes – A study led by the Institute of Natural Resources and Agrobiology of Seville (IRNAS-CSIC), the Geological and Mining Institute of Spain (IGME-CSIC) have identified the first microbial communities colonising the lava tubes from the 2021 eruption on La Palma. They arrived mainly through airborne transport from animals or spores, and were identified 1-2 years later, when the exterior of the rocks were still 90 degrees Celsius.
- New guidelines for Civil Protection Planning for eruptions – New guidelines for Civil Protection Planning for volcanic eruptions in Spain is under review, which will replace the previous one made in 1996. It will establish organisation of territories during an eruption, specifically different levels of zoning for the management of an emergency.
- PSOE ask for more radon studies – The PSOE party have asked the Cabildo de La Palma to resume studying radon concentrations in areas affected by the volcano, after recent concerns from residents after one sensor in Tajuya registered radon concentrations above regulatory concentrations. The Cabildo president Sergio Rodríguez confirmed that they will continue and expand radon measurements in areas affected by the eruption.
Microorganisms identified in the La Palma volcano to study life on Mars. El Time (2026).
- La Bombilla and Puerto Naos latest – Two more homes in Puerto Naos and two more in La Bombilla have had access authorised. The two in Puerto Naos were in the “black zone” where CO2 concentrations have stayed at unsafe levels for longer, but have since remained at safe levels for long enough to authorise the return to this properties, with constant live monitoring of CO2 In total, there are now 60 homes authorised for return in La Bombilla, and 1,177 in Puerto Naos.
- Positive results for CO2 extraction tests in Puerto Naos – Results from recent CO2 extraction tests in Puerto Naos show reductions of up to 80% from 15,000 ppm to 700 ppm, within roughly a 50 metre radius, exceeding expectations and possibly providing a route to make safe even the areas with the highest current concentrations. There is funding currently for three more extraction wells, costing €150,000.
- The lava deltas as a living laboratory – The lava deltas in La Palma from the 2021 eruption are providing a natural lab for research and innovation. It is a prime location for studying the recovery of marine life and has had wide international interest, and the Cabildo de La Palma are considering opening access to the newly created beaches and coves. There may also be new job opportunities for new fishing grounds, diving, filming, and tourism in the area.
Other updates
- The Pope receives “Otras Historias del Volcán” book – During a visit to Tenerife, the Pope was given a copy of the book “Otras Historias del Volcán” by Tierra Bonita and I Love the World, which presented testimony of those affected and raised money for charity.
The Pope receives ‘The Other Stories of the Volcano’, the book that gives voice to those affected by the eruption of La Palma. El Valle de Aridane (2026).
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