03 Nov La Palma Reconstruction – August 2025
La Palma’s Reconstruction: August 2025 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
GeoTenerife Updates
- Geological risk training days – GeoTenerife presented at the Training Day for Geological Risk in La Laguna, Tenerife, organised by the council of San Cristobal de La Laguna and Volcanes de Canarias. The event was open to the public and GeoTenerife presented on “The importance of communication in a volcanic emergency: Mistakes and successes. Keys to staying informed.” You can access resources for being prepared for an eruption at https://linktr.ee/GeoTenerife_Communicacion.
Reconstruction
- New geothermal tenders – Sodepal, a company of the Cabildo de La Palma, has put out two tenders totalling €250,000 for work relating to its geothermal exploration grids across La Palma. Sodepal is one of several companies with geothermal drilling permits on the island.
- €6 million from the state for reconstruction – The Spanish Government has approved €6 million for La Palma as part of the Infrastructure Agreement for the post-volcano recovery, for which the Government would pay 50%. This investment however, responds to an increase in costs for the works from 2022, with significant increases in costs reported by local councils since then.
- Calls to reinstate reconstruction commission – The Mayor of Los Llanos de Aridane has called to reconvene the Joint Commission for the Reconstruction, Recovery, and Support of the island of La Palma, which last met in February 2024.
- Gas emissions control centre moves – The Cabildo de La Palma has moved the gas emissions control centre for Puerto Naos, which was in Puerto Naos school, so the school can reopen for the new academic year for the first time since 2021. Construction of the new control centre, just next to the school, has now begun. The Puerto Naos school will reopen with 55 students, and has 15 gas meters installed throughout the site.
The Cabildo approves the agreement that allows it to begin the reconstruction of the CEIP La Laguna school (El Time, 2025)
- Reconstruction agreement agreed for La Laguna primary school – The Cabildo de La Palma has approved the reconstruction agreement for the La Laguna Primary School. The school will be rebuilt completely for the ground up, with the aim to house more than 100 students when finished, costing €5.2 million over 14 months.
- Cruises pass pre-pandemic and pre-volcano levels – In the first half of 2025, the port of Santa Cruz de La Palma recorded almost 185,000 passengers, the first year greater than pre-pandemic and pre-volcano levels, and the highest since 2016.
- LP-2 reconstruction – The PSOE party in La Palma has criticised the continuing delay of the LP-2 reconstruction across the lava flows, which is yet to start and has been delayed for over two years.
- Concerns of construction practices – The Nueva Canarias party has complained about the poor management of reconstruction in Tazacorte. They cite irregularities in road-building contracts, which have led to reconstructed roads being considerably different than what was agreed, and often at an increased cost.
Aid
- Canary Islands Government completes aid payments for primary homes – The Canary Islands Government has completed compensation for the actual value of primary homes lost, for almost all of those affected. There remain 25 cases that have not yet been paid, due to documentation issues that need to be resolved. The next aid priorities for the Government are farms and then second homes.
- €100 million from Spain – The PP party in the Cabildo de La Palma has lamented the unfulfilled promises of €100 million annually from Spain for aid for La Palma, blaming both the Spanish Government for its apathy, and promises made by the CC party that this aid had been guaranteed, when in fact it has not.
Los Llanos presents a website about road reconstruction: these are the most and least advanced projects. El Time (2025)
Science
- Military personnel involved in the eruption request health monitoring – The Spanish Troops and Sailors Association have asked the Ministry of Defence to monitor the health of members involved in the 2021 La Palma eruption. This is motivated by an investigation in the Canary Islands, which discovered respiratory, cardiovascular, dermatological, and ocular pathologies on La Palma that could be attributed to the eruption.
Military personnel request medical monitoring from the Ministry of Defense for those deployed at the La Palma volcano. El Time (2025)
Other updates
- Tierra Bonita campaigns:
- Provincial Council to examine Tierra Bonita’s complaints – Following a meeting between the First Deputy of the Provincial Council and the President of the Tierra Bonita association, the council will investigate Tierra Bonita’s two key complaints. These are that there was a lack of sufficient warning of an eruption, particularly to those in the north, and also that the Canarian Government will not release the minutes and recordings of PEVOLCA meetings prior to the eruption.
- Legal appeal for complaints – Tierra Bonita has filed an appeal before the High Court of Justice of the Canary Islands, relating to its case that the public have the right to the minutes and recordings of PEVOLCA meetings leading up to the eruption. The court previously refused access to these documents.
- ‘Roots Under the Lava’ Documentary premieres in September – On the 4th anniversary of the eruption, the documentary ‘Roots Under the Lava’ will premier. Through testimony, it will capture the stories, feelings and struggles of those affected by the eruption.
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La Palma and the Korean island of Jeju share knowledge in groundwater management. El Time (2025)
La Palma and Korean island share water knowledge – La Palma Water Council has hosted staff from the Groundwater Research Centre of Jeju, as island of south Korea, to share knowledge. Both islands are volcanic and share many hydrogeological characteristics and require groundwater management systems.
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