The Cabildo of Tenerife will collaborate with a consortium of four European Union countries to organise a volcanic risk simulation in Garachico during the final week of September 2025. This initiative aims to assess the Island’s capacity to respond regarding civil defence.
This exercise will be conducted “under realistic conditions and in a controlled environment”, allowing for an evaluation of the capacity for effective communication with the public and the response to planned evacuations, as stated by Rosa Dávila, the president of the Cabildo of Tenerife, on Tuesday.
Thus, Tenerife is joining a consortium made up of EU member states to assess response abilities in potential volcanic risk situations.
Rosa Dávila remarked, “We reside in a volcanic region, on volcanic islands, and we have aligned ourselves with this consortium from the European Commission, and the European Union, to engage in preparatory actions for one year, gearing up for a scenario of genuine volcanic risk.”
The president emphasised that this consortium will not merely allow for evaluation but will also enhance response capabilities following the simulation in Garachico.
In discussing the choice of Garachico, she reminded that this municipality was the site of a “devastating volcano” in 1706 that altered the history of both Garachico and Tenerife: “This area is considered to have a high volcanic risk, making it suitable for conducting this simulation.”
Blanca Pérez, the Minister of the Natural Environment, clarified that the preparation for the drill will be aligned with the entire civil protection framework across Tenerife, the Canary Islands, and the State. Public organisations such as IGN, CSIC, IGME, and Involcan will be involved, among others.
She also highlighted the role of Tenerife’s civil protection system, which includes the Fire Brigade and BRIFOR of the Cabildo, as well as the operational coordination with the UME and the Army across the autonomous community of the Canary Islands.
“Tenerife has its volcanic risk plan. Our intention is to implement this plan island-wide, starting with Garachico. We aspire to participate in evaluations alongside our experts, those from Spain, and the broader European community,” the minister expressed.
Bogdan Pop, the Deputy Director General of the Emergency Situations Department in Romania and Director of the EU MODEX Lot 4 Project, noted the significance of this initiative for the training and development of local and European experts.
“This represents a valuable opportunity to test existing plans,” stated Pop, who also emphasised the importance of conducting this drill in raising public awareness and enhancing resilience.
The Town Council of Tenerife explains that the EU MODEX programme aims to optimise the response of Civil Protection teams and technical assistance modules during emergencies through collaboration and the exchange of expertise among EU member states.
Rosa Dávila, the president of the Tenerife Cabildo, Blanca Pérez, the Minister of Natural Environment, Emergencies and Security, along with Iván Martín, the Director of Emergencies, convened on Tuesday with a team from EU MODEX to discuss the initiative.