La Palma’s Reconstruction: September 2025 Update

• On the 4^th anniversary of the eruption, reflections good and bad about the eruption and reconstruction were published:
  • Tierra Bonita – The NGO and Platform for Affected People highlighted the good side of the Volcano Law, coordination of evacuations, the strength of those on La Palma, the work of Spanish lawyers helping to process aid files of those affected, the approval of the three reconstruction decrees, and the payment of aid for main residences lost. However, they also stress the bad, including the lack of transparency and communication with those affected before, during and after the eruption from PEVOLCA, and the remaining delays and uncertainties surrounding the reconstruction.
  • El Time – They highlight the progress made on restoring roads, the moving out of many affected people into permanent accommodation from the modular container houses, recovery of agricultural areas, the development of new hazard maps, and return of underwater life, among other things.
  • Affected people – Those who were closest to where the eruption began reiterated their experiences that they were not informed the risk area shifted northwards in the days prior to the eruption, whereas those further south were called to meetings.

• 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.

• Volcano Law approved by Canary Islands parliament – The Canary Islands parliament has unanimously approved the ‘Volcano Law’. This law, the first of its kind in Spain, was a citizen-led legislative initiative to guarantee full compensation for those affected by volcanic eruptions in the Canary Islands.
• 120 reconstruction licenses in Tazacorte – Since the end of the eruption, Tazacorte has issues 123 agricultural permits to reconstruct properties affected by the lava flows, alongside 14 for the restoration of homes and 19 for the opening of roads.
• LP-2 reconstruction – In the Government of the Canary Islands, the Minister of Public Works, Housing and Mobility of the Government of the Canary Islands announced that the second amendment demanded for the plans had been approved, which had been blocking the project for over a year. It has also completed procedures for a third demanded amendment, so the project is in an economic review phase before final approval, which includes a budget of €24.1 million over 14-months.
• LP-211 road reconstruction – The Cabildo de La Palma is working to enable two-way traffic on the LP-211, which is currently being recovered across the lava flows, with a budget of €10.5 million.

The LP-211 road in Todoque will be enabled in both directions between Las Manchas and Los Llanos. El Time (2025)

• Lack of response over ‘€200 million’ owed – Further criticisms have been levelled at the Spanish state for not responding to calls to pay €100 million for reconstruction in La Palma for both 2024 and 2025. However, the Commissioner of Reconstruction on La Palma, Héctor Izquierdo, reiterates that this is not in the Canary Islands agenda currently, so does not expect it to be paid.
• Callejón de la Gata progress – The Cabildo has completed the restoration of the northern road and branches of the Callejón de la Gata industrial estate and are now working on internal roads.
• 21 residential plots recovered – 21 residential housing plots will be recovered in Los Llanos, by restoring the 300 m long Camino del Hidalgo road across the lava flows, to an area that was not completely destroyed by the eruption.
• Complaint for irrigators – An official complaint has been lodged by the ombudsman to improve conditions for communities in La Palma relying on irrigation, which remains heavily impacted in some areas following the eruption.
• New school construction – Representatives of two schools destroyed during the eruption have asked for clarity and commitment from the Rotary organisation, who publicly committed to building a new school, but have yet to report any progress or plans for the work.

Commissioner maintains 60% tax discount will arrive – The Commissioner of Reconstruction on La Palma, Héctor Izquierdo, has maintained the 60% income tax reduction on La Palma, aimed at kickstarting the economy, will be implemented again by the state by the end of 2025, despite delays.
Delayed aid for farmers – The PP party has called on the Cabildo de La Palma to distribute the €6.5 million in aid earmarked for farmers at the start of the year, that are still yet to be distributed.

Castro: “It is unjustifiable that 9 months have passed and the financial aid to farmers has still not been distributed.” El Time (2025)

• Volcanic eruption simulation exercise (EU-MODEX) – From the 22^nd-27^th September, Tenerife hosted EU-MODEX in Garachico, a week of science incorporating a volcanic eruption simulation exercise to implement lessons learnt from La Palma and evaluate current approaches:
  • The Tierra Bonita Association has welcomed the drill, but has also criticised the exercise as insufficient for the population in Tenerife, who received emergency drills but no practical information on what they may need to do, and little public information surrounding the scenario tested.
  • In a separate piece, the Tierra Bonita President expressed concern that scientists in the Canary Islands are glossing over lessons learnt in La Palma, and also providing evidence of authorities changing the official narrative over the La Palma eruption, particularly over the response and alert levels in the hours before the eruption began.
• New internal map of Tajogaite – A new study by INGV (Italy) and INVOLCAN has imaged in detail the uppermost 1 km beneath the Tajogaite volcano, showing where gas and fluids accumulated immediately after the eruption. The study analysed 17,000 micro-earthquakes immediately after the eruption, using a technique called seismic tomography.
• Marine recovery progress – The DELTA project, coordinated by the Oceanic Platform of the Canary Islands (PLOCAN), continues to monitor the recovery of the ocean following the 2021 eruption, creating skilled jobs, outreach, and training programs. On the anniversary of the eruption, those involved reflect on the work that has been done and the hope for the future.
• Health impacts of the eruption – Recent results published from the ISVOLCAN project, monitoring health impacts of the 2021 eruption, caused local alarm when it was reported heavy metals had been recorded in residents’ blood, and certain pathologies had increased during the eruptions according to surveys. However, some have criticised the reporting as sensationalist, and have argued there is no need for concern for those affected.
• National Volcanological Centre progress – It has been announced that the Cabildos of La Palma and Tenerife are working on a plan to house the new National Volcanological Centre between Tenerife and La Palma, with the main administrative headquarters in La Palma and the main scientific base in Tenerife. On La Palma, the procedure is underway to determine the location for these headquarters. However, the Royal Economic Society of Friends of La Palma have criticised the plan, arguing it will bring little benefit to La Palma in its current form, and the best solution is having a singular volcanological centre on La Palma.
• Post-volcano conference – A conference “Memory, landscape and future after the volcano: heritage, tourism and community in the Aridane Valley” was hosted in Los Llanos, which included a debate on how these topics can be integrated in a sustainable future for the valley.

• Appeal against PEVOLCA recordings accepted – The appeal by Tierra Bonita against the refusal to share the PEVOLCA minutes and recordings has been accepted by the High Court of Justice of the Canary Islands, after an initial rejection in June. This opens a potential legal route to get access to these recordings.
• Cabildo asks for changes to contract law – The Cabildo has urged the Spanish Government to amend national contract laws so that emergency procedures can be applied more flexibly for longer periods in the cases of disasters. It argues doing so would help to streamline many of the reconstruction projects on La Palma.

The courts have accepted the appeal against the ‘non-delivery’ of the PEVOLCA minutes and recordings. El Time (2025)