24 Jun La Palma Reconstruction – May 2025
La Palma’s Reconstruction: May 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
GeoTenerife Updates
- Lava Bombs shown at Mt Etna – GeoTenerife’s Lava Bombs documentary was shown along with a Q&A at the Etna Observatory of the INGV, Italy’s volcano monitoring agency, in Catania.
- GeoTenerife presents at EUSEA 2025 – GeoTenerife have presented work from the GENESIS project at the 2025 European Science Engagement Conference in Gran Canaria. The poster presented showcased GeoTenerife’s work towards delivering the GENESIS Citizen Science Hub, which will host a variety of resources to engage the public in understanding and feeling ownership over the nature-based solutions being created across Macaroniesa to mitigate the impact of climate change on freshwater supply.
- GENESIS School Workshop – As part of the GENESIS project, GeoTenerife took part in school workshops in La Palma as well as the La Palma Science and Innovation Fair, presenting the motivations and science behind the project’s nature-based solutions.
Hoy concluye nuestra participación en las #Miniferias25 La Palma de la Ciencia y la Innovación en Canarias🇮🇨🥳. Gracias a @agenciaiisi por ofrecernos esta oportunidad y permitirnos compartir el proyecto @genesisnbs con los/as más jóvenes😆 #hydrogeologia #NbS #AIM pic.twitter.com/wb5Yobzrjl
— LPRC_ES (@LPRC_ES) May 23, 2025
Reconstruction
- CEIP La Laguna School reconstruction – The PSOE political party has urged the Canary Islands Government department of education to sign the agreement that will allow reconstruction work to begin on the CEIP La Laguna School, which was destroyed by lava flows.
- LP-211 reconstruction – The recovery of the LP-211 road is facing difficulties due to high temperatures, as temperatures greater than 280 degrees celcius have been detected along parts of the route. Some of the final steps of the project are expected to begin in July.
- Callejón de la Gata reconstruction – The recovery of the Callejón de la Gata industrial estate by the Cabildo de La Palma on the lava flows continues, where the Cabildo believes residents may be able to rebuild in a short period of time. Currently, 1.8 km of tracks have been restored to the pre-eruptive width.
- Concerns over harmony in reconstruction – A PSOE politician on La Palma has expressed concerns at the lack of harmony between the Cabildo de La Palma and the Canary Islands Government over the reconstruction. In particular, there has been a lack of clarity over the protection of parts of the lava flows and the volcanic cone, which has been rumoured but has still yet to be confirmed.
- LP-2 debates – There has been intense debate over the reconstruction of the LP-2 road, a project which remains delayed. Part of the debate centres on if the lava flows are or will be protected in this area, and potential impacts of this on the road. Mariano Zapata, Minister of Ecological Transition, has suggested alternatives of using a tunnel instead of a road, which is highly unfeasible, or protecting other areas of the lava flows instead, which have both been rejected by the President of the Cabildo.
- Plan for 34 houses for those affected – The Ministry of Public Works, Housing and Mobility of the Government of the Canary Islands have processed a contracting file for constructing 34 protected housing units in Tazacorte, with an expected cost of around €5.7 million. These are aimed to be part of the permanent housing solution for those affected by the 2021 eruption and lost their homes.
Sergio Rodríguez rejects the Ecological Transition proposal to build a tunnel beneath the lava flows to restore the LP-2 highway (El Apurón, 2025).
Aid
Héctor Izquierdo: “The 100 million for La Palma isn’t included in the Canary Islands Agenda.” (El Time, 2025)
- 60% income tax reduction debate – Debate continues over whether or not to renew the 60% personal income tax reduction on La Palma, which was implemented post-eruption to stimulate economic recovery. It was not renewed by the state January 2025, despite the Cabildo requesting the measure be applied for 10 years until 2032. The Cabildo has approved a motion urging the state to implement the measure retroactively to January 2025.
- Debates on €100 million for La Palma from the state – Debates continue over the €100 million for 2024 that was meant to be paid to La Palma for reconstruction from the Spanish Government, as outlined in their budget. Now, the Minister of the President of the Canary Islands Government says there is no legal doubt that the Canary Islands Government is owed the money, whereas the Commissioner for the Reconstruction of La Palma, Héctor Izquierdo, stated in an interview that the agreement actually only included €100 million for 2023, which has been paid.
Science
- Study on ‘Neoliberal’ reconstruction model – A new study in the International Journal of Disaster Risk Reduction has analysed documentation related to the recovery from the volcano. They found that the Neoliberal model for reconstruction that is being used has discarded initial drafts of reconstruction decrees that stressed a collaborative approach to reconstruction that accounted for volcanic risk. It concludes that many on La Palma have pursued a reconstruction that leaves things exactly as they were before the eruption, that leads to the perpetuation of volcanic risk. It also unearths links between the politicians in power during the reconstruction and pressure groups representing those affected, and how many laws and regulations surrounding the reconstruction were ignored.
- Geothermal energy meeting – The Cabildo de La Palma is organising a meeting with citizens in Fuencaliente to discuss the island’s energy future, focusing on particularly the geothermal potential of La Palma.
- CO2 meter requests – Homes and businesses in Puerto Naos and La Bombilla are able to request CO2 meters until May 31st to be installed by the state. There are still homes and businesses without these sensors, which are needed by the government to authorise the reopening of parts of the settlements. In total, more than 1,500 sensors are installed inside, with 220 installed outside homes and businesses. In Puerto Naos, the Puerto Naos Triathlon will be held on June 14th, for the first time since the 2021 eruption.
- Project studying cultural changes of the eruption – The European University of the Canary Islands, funded by the Spanish Ministry of Culture, is carrying out a project to identify the cultural impacts of the La Palma eruption through the perceptions of the population.
A neoliberal model that ignores volcanic risk: a study analyzes the “chaotic” planning of La Palma after the eruption. (CanariasAhora, 2025)
Other updates
- Tourism demonstrations – Groups in La Palma joined widespread protests across the Canary Islands on 18th May to demand a new tourism model for the Canary Islands, highlighting the pervasive and unsustainable negative impacts of the current mass tourism model.
- Legal win for family left without assistance after the eruption – A small-scale farmer has won in court after fighting to retain aid for a loss of self-employment after his banana plantation was damaged by the eruption. The state had stopped paying when he replanted the bananas, but the court decided he should receive these benefits until the trees bore fruit and he would receive an income from them again. The ombudsman has called for the current regulations to be amended to prevent this happening in the future.
- Spanish King and Queen Visit La Palma – The Spanish King and Queen will visit La Palma on June 6th to meet with the president of the Cabildo, those affected, and to see the reconstruction projects.
- New AI tool for public engagement around the eruption – As part of a proposal for the ‘Rutas 2030’ project, on La Palma, an AI tool has been used to recreate the eruption of the volcano. The scheme aims to facilitate access to volcanic knowledge and experience for those with reduced mobility and the wider general public.
- Ash used in Madrid wrestling match – Sand derived from ash from the 2021 eruption has been used in Madrid to construct a surface for a wrestling match in Madrid.
- Filming for new film about reconstruction on La Palma – Filming for ‘Kipuka, an island in a sea of lava’, a new film, has begun on La Palma. The film is a fictional story based on the real experiences of those in La Palma, focusing on the emotions and family ties associated with the eruption and reconstruction.
The Canary Islands have a Limit is calling for a demonstration in La Palma on May 18th. (Diario Palmero, 2025)
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