ENVIRONMENTAL GROUP, 27th April 2011

Dunas de Maspalomas

The main subject of the day consisted in finding possible explanations regarding the formation of the Dunas de Maspalomas, as well as identifying solutions in order to stop or decrease the losses within the system. Although the origin of the dunes has been a controversially debated subject, research developed in the last decades offered answers regarding the main factors that determine a cycle of events. The physical configuration of the dunes seems to be a result of variable parameters as wind speed, oceanic currents direction, urbanization gradient, etc.

Recent studies revealed that the dunes cycle suffers losses in average of 42.000 m³/year. As the dunes are a very important touristic resource (2,5 million tourists/ year visiting Maspalomas, out of 3,2 million visiting the entire island), measures to limit the losses have been taken into consideration. One of these measures refers to supplying the system with large quantities of sand brought from the bottom of the sea. The main disadvantage of this proposal consists in the sand size of one of the submarine deposits, with very different dynamic characteristics that interfere with the natural movement rhythm of the dunes. Another possible solution is related to relocation of sand masses within the system, in order to balance the quantity level. This refers to extracting the excessive mass of sand out of the accumulation areas and relocating it at the beginning of the process, so that sand is recycled and therefore losses are avoided.

Considering the complexity of the cycle and its informational gaps, it is extremely difficult to identify optimal solutions and to forecast scenarios about the system dynamics after external interferences. However, the growing touristic market associated with the increase of human pressure demand an integrated management concept of the area.

Photos By Marko Krevs.

IP2011 Canary Islands – Photos from Marko

Places: https://picasaweb.google.com/117574642652569654231/IP2011CanaryIslandsSelectedPhotos?authkey=Gv1sRgCPDJjeiXlqG3zAE#

People: https://picasaweb.google.com/117574642652569654231/IP2011People?authkey=Gv1sRgCNzj9M7qk8e-VQ#

These two have to be in separate folders (resulting in extra links) due to problems with the uploading from camera … but so the GPS information is kept with the photos – so you can see the locations of the photos in the low right corner of the Picasa web page.

Anaga: https://picasaweb.google.com/117574642652569654231/Anaga?authkey=Gv1sRgCIyeq4a7q9nNTg#

La Laguna: https://picasaweb.google.com/117574642652569654231/LaLaguna?authkey=Gv1sRgCMKwwY3_9_qxqwE#

SOCIAL GROUP, 28th April 2011

Today we proceed as yesterday, with a first meeting early in the morning to keep clear our ideas. After this we continued with our field work, so we were driven to municipality of Mogán. We first stopped in Patalavaca looking for the Norwegian community. We found the Norwegian school near Arguineguín, to be precise in Aquamarina neighbourhood. We were told a bit how they are organized and we were suggested to go to Arguineguín for a meeting with the priest of the Norwegian church of Gran Canaria. We did not manage to talk to her today, but we made an appointment for tomorrow. We continued the field work in Mogán, where we spoke with the people from the main social club and officials, municipality workers, in order to get data that could help us to figure Mogán’s social structure for our upcoming presentation. We did not manage to get it, despite we will como tomorrow due to Mogán’s architect is going to give us the ongoing Master Plan. In the social club we got data about why and when this was established, which people are integrated there and how they include immigrants to their social activities. Finally, we had a brief interview with the Social Issues Office, who, among other things, told us how Norwegian community is cooperating with them, with the municipality. The Social Club for old people and the mayor, besides the priest, could not be localized.

ECONOMY GROUP 28TH OF APRIL 2011

Today we had an interview with the responsible person from the office of the planning institute of the municipality of San Bartolomé. We found out that the use of water is arranged by the Law of the use of water, which requires that the water used for gardens and golf surfaces has to be the purified water. 90 % of the purified water is used for it, and the rest ends up in the sea.
The most interesting fact is that the whole economy is actually based on the petrol. Because the 98 % of the energy they get from thermal power plant and the 2 % from wind power plants. According to her, they don’t have any alternative plan, the only innovations in the system are more wind power plants, but we know that there is an important proyect with the reservoir of Chira. Also they won’t decrease the dependency of the prices of petrol.

About the touristic dates she told us that there is a problem with the three administrations that control the competences in tourism: Canary Government, Patronato and the city hall of the different tourist points. In many cases there is a lack of understanding between these three organs and because of this many mistakes in the public planning can be and were made.

Finally she explained the changes in the demand of the tourism: in about 2000 we could divide the offer of accommodation in about 70% of extrahotels offer and 30% of hotels. Nowadays, these numbers are more equilibrated because an important share of touristic apartments were being sold and now more than 16000 citizens live there. It causes a big problem because there was no previous planning that can resolve things like parking places, garbage and the problem of the town-planning indiscipline. This final problem means that many people who bought touristic apartments are not prepared to be used like a primary housing and they try to increase the surface making illegal works that damage the landscape.

We are in the newspapers...

http://www.maspalomasahora.com/2011/04/27/estudiantes-europeos-investigan-en-maspalomas-la-gestion-del-territorio-insular/