21 Jul La Palma Reconstruction – May 2026
La Palma’s Reconstruction: May 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
GeoTenerife Updates
- Science communication interview with Tierra Bonita – GeoTenerife Founder and Director Sharon Backhouse was interviewed by El Valle de Aridane, the news outlet of the Tierra Bonita NGO, about the 2021 eruption, as one of the most active science communication voices in the Canary Islands. The interview focuses on the communication failures during the 2021 eruption.
“We need to reflect on the failures in scientific communication to society that occurred during the 2021 volcanic emergency.” El Valle de Aridane (2026)
Reconstruction
- New office for urban planning and reconstruction – Los Llanos de Aridane City Council have supported GESPLAN to create a new office to support planning and reconstruction. Among other things, it will offer the population basic legal assistance and guidance related to municipal reconstruction files. The initial period is until December 2027 with investment of €260,000.
- Bill to protected areas of the volcanoes receives 51 objections – The bill to expand the scope of the Cumbre Vieja Natural Park, which will include the protection of the Tajogaite volcanic cone, as well as the two lava deltas generated by the 2021 eruption, has received 51 objections, which will be answered individually before the next step of the process.
- Demands for better replacement schools – The parent-teacher associations representing Todoque and Los Campitos schools, both destroyed in the 2021 eruption, have issued a letter demanding that the roadmap towards the promised new school is released. The Rotary Organisation promised to support the reconstruction of replacement schools, raising €600,000, but since there have been little updates. The students from these schools are currently sharing spaces with other schools on the island.
- Meeting to finalise agricultural recovery of Aridane Valley – ASEPALMA, the association representing fruit growers in La Palma, has requested a meeting to finalise the agricultural recovery of the Aridane valley. Out of 239 ha affected by the eruption, 89 ha have been restored, with access restored to 473 plots. They point out income loss subsidies were only applied in 2022 and 2023, despite many farmers still struggling, and that improvements are needed to access, transport, irrigation networks, and water quality. This has been echoed by similar organisations on the island, highlighting that 24% of farmers still face uncertainty on whether they can rebuild or not.
- Calls on Spanish Government to accelerate aid and income tax break – A member of the CC party has called for the acceleration of aid and 60% income tax rebate to La Palma, arguing that much quicker implementations have been seen for those affected by the DANA storms in Valencia, with worries the tax rebate will not be implemented until the end of 2026.
- Criticisms of home-building progress – The Government of the Canary Islands have been criticised over progress of the ‘La Palma 700’ plan for 700 new homes on the island, after three years of which only 164 have a project plan, 34 are under construction, and none have been completed. However, in response the Minister of Public Works, Housing, and Mobility highlighted that €80 million has been leveraged so far for this housing plan, with more than 400 homes at different stages of processing, and that the first new homes may be delivered by the end of the year.
- La Laguna – Las Norias road roundabout designs – The design of four new roundabouts on the La Laguna – Las Norias road is being carried out after the citizen participation process on the themes to include in the designs, which were voted on by the public.
- €2.3 million for municipal planning – The Canary Islands Government have allocated €2.3 million to boost municipal planning, for developing policy and completing infrastructure projects.
Aid
- Appeal to compensate residents in the protected area of the volcano – The Social Deputy for La Palma has expressed concern to the Government of the Canary Islands about timelines and uncertainties for the compensation for expropriation for those who lost homes on parts of the lava flows that will be protected. These people also do not know if they will be able to rebuild their homes or farms in the area, as it depends on the degree of protection given to the land, which has not been decided.
- Appeal for extension to solar panel aid – The PP party has asked for an extension to the line of aid for the installation of photovoltaic panels in homes affected by the eruption, saying there are ongoing delays with individuals due to lack of supply of materials and labour.
- New tourism planning instrument for Puerto Naos – The Cabildo de La Palma have approved the initiation of a Singular Tourist Planning Instrument for Puerto Naos and Charco Verde, a planning tool to help planning towards boosting tourist infrastructure and urban development in these areas.
- €3.4 million to recovery of productive sector – The Cabildo de La Palma have announced €3.4 million in subsidies for 2026 to support the recovery of businesses and self-employed people after the 2021 eruption.
Science
- INVOLCAN refuses to publish real time monitoring data – INVOLCAN has refused to publish monitoring data in real time, in a statement rejecting the demands of the Tierra Bonita association, who demanded that the organisation has a requirement to do this as a volcano monitoring institution operating with public funds. Tierra Bonita argue this goes against a plenary agreement from the Cabildo de Tenerife in March 2026, which committed to providing access to real-time-data for the population, and was supported by all parties. Tierra Bonita plans to appeal this statement.
- Puerto Naos and La Bombilla latest – Four homes and a commercial premises have been authorized for return in Puerto Naos, bringing the number of authorisations to return to more than 1,200, where CO2 levels have stabilised at safe levels.
- Volcano public educational programme – Breña Alta City Council has held the educational program “Canary Islands: A Volcanic Window in the Atlantic” in the municipality. It aims to increase social awareness of the volcanic nature of the islands, and to disseminate knowledge about risk prevention and reduction during volcanic eruptions, in a participatory way with the local population.
- Possible link between radon concentrations and ground deformation – After high radon readings, above Spanish regulation limits, in a house in Tajuya near the lava flows, researchers at the University of La Laguna have explained that the high concentration may be due to the deformation of the terrain and presences of fractures related to the lava flows, allowing radon to rise from deeper fractures.
Experts link radon in Tajuya to ground deformation. El Time (2026)
- CO2 depressurisation system tested – The Cabildo de La Palma and Eduardo Torroja Institute of Construction Sciences (IETcc-CSIC) are testing ground and building depressurisation techniques in Puerto Naos and La Bombilla, that allows the capture and redirection of CO2 accumulated in buildings in a controlled manner.
- Warning over sensor tampering in Puerto Naos – The President of the Cabildo de La Palma has warned that anyone found to be tampering with CO2 sensors in Puerto Naos may have their authorisation to return to the area removed, and stated that they have already done this on a number of occasions, as it threatens the safety of those in the area if the sensors do not work as intended.
- Conference on geothermal energy in the Canary Islands – In La Palma, the “Conference on High Enthalpy Geothermal Energy in the Canary Islands. The heat of the subsoil, energy for the future” took place, organised by the Government of the Canary Islands. It brought together politicians, scientists, and professionals, to share knowledge on geothermal energy, with La Palma thought to have particularly high potential for implementations, with some pilot studies underway.
Other updates
- Creation of new university campus on La Palma ratified – The Cabildo de La Palma have approved a roadmap to create a permanent campus on the islands, which will be able to provide undergraduate and postgraduate courses, related to natural, geological and environmental sciences.
- Warning on lack of regulation in ash extraction – The PP party have warned that the extraction of ash from the Tajogaite volcano lacks regulation, and needs them to guarantee equal access for citizens and businesses, despite a commitment to do so at the end of 2022.
- Latest unemployment figures – Latest unemployment figures show that La Palma’s rate is lower than the Canary Islands and Spain as a whole, since the volcanic eruption, at a rate of 9.8%.
The PP warns of a lack of regulation in the extraction of ash from Tajogaite. El Time (2026)
- Tourist information centres see record numbers – The tourist information centres on La Palma saw 160,000 people in 2025, representing a record number of visits, up 298% compared with before the pandemic.
- Snow above Tajogaite – Unusually cold weather led to snow settling on the Cumbre Vieja ridge above Tajogaite, which is rare for the island.
- Tajogaite lava flows steam heavily – Intense rainfall from Storm Therese caused intense steaming of the Tajogaite lava flows, a reminder of the high temperatures that remain in the interiors of the flows.
- Los Llanos de Aridane supports short film on reconstruction – Los Llanos de Aridane City Council has joined the new short film ‘Kipuka’ as a sponsor and collaborator. The film explores displacement, memory and emotional reconstruction following the eruption.
No Comments