01 March 2024 , 11:07
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Brits planning Spain holidays should take note of some tough new water restrictions in Tenerife, following mainland Spain which has declared a drought emergency.
So far the Canaries and Balearics have been holding off introducing new rules, but now one municipality in Tenerife is imposing restrictions on water consumption, prompting fears that others may follow suit.
In Fasnia, on the southern side of the island, the new order rohibits the use of drinking water for irrigation; re-filling swimming pools, ponds, reservoirs or tanks; cleaning facades; vehicle washing (with the exception of gas stations), and the use of showers on the municipality's beaches.
New rules include a ban on using showers at the beach (Getty Images/Collection Mix: Subjects RF)Mayor Luis Javier González Delgado told Spanish newspaper DIARIO DE AVISOS: "These are measures that the government group adopts from a position of responsibility, it is not a matter that has to do with good or bad management, but with the worsening of an anomalous meteorological situation."
The lack of water resources has been attributed to the hotter and drier autumn and winter which hit the islands. Tenerife as a whole is expected to declare a water emergency soon, as the island is expected to experience its most critical period this summer if heavy rain does not arrive, which seems unlikely.
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While Fasnia isn't one of the go-to holiday hotspots on the island, it's still quite close to other spots. It is not yet known how much, if at all, tourists would be affected by any widespread drought declaration on Tenerife as a lot of the big hotels have their own arrangements and many pools of their pools are filled from the sea.
But elsewhere in Spain, there is already talk of installing water meters near hotel bathrooms so guests who choose to use more water would pay for the privilege. On the mainland, there are also plans to ship in water to destinations such as Barcelona.
It's another blow for the Canary Islands, which are said to be on the 'brink of collapse' as millions of tourists continue to flood the holiday hotspots. Over-tourism has put the Canary Islands and their infrastructure under enormous strain which is no longer sustainable, urban planners have warned. Experts working for campaign group Ben Magec-Ecologists in Action have spoken out after tourist figures for 2023 revealed a record number of visitors - 16 million.
By one estimate, as many as half of these are Brits which isn't surprising considering the islands' proximity to the UK - most can be reached under four hours - not to mention their balmy weather year-round makes them popular for winter sun holidays.
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