Project partners gathered on 4 and 5 November in La Palma for two intensive working days combining technical site visits, strategic discussions and institutional engagement aimed at accelerating the implementation of the La Palma Deep Demonstrator.
La Palma hosted a two-day working meeting bringing together representatives from the GENESIS consortium to review progress, address implementation challenges and strengthen collaboration around the project’s activities in the Macaronesian region. The programme included technical visits to several demonstration sites on 4 November followed by a dedicated WP4 coordination workshop and an institutional meeting on 5 November.
As the main GENESIS demonstrator in Macaronesia, La Palma plays a central role in testing and validating Nature-based Solutions for sustainable water management and climate resilience. The island’s unique hydrogeological conditions, combined with its long-standing experience in water governance and groundwater management, provide an ideal environment for developing and demonstrating innovative approaches that can later be replicated across Europe and other island territories.
Visiting the La Palma demonstration sites
The first day focused on field visits to several key demonstration sites included in the La Palma Deep Demonstrator. Consortium partners visited the DM3 Transfer Tunnel (Trasvase), DM4 Tenisca facilities and DM5 Angustias site, allowing participants to gain first-hand insight into the current status of the planned interventions and discuss the next implementation steps with local stakeholders.
The visits provided an opportunity to assess technical conditions on site, review ongoing works and identify opportunities to strengthen the integration of monitoring, groundwater management and Nature-based Solutions within the wider GENESIS framework. Discussions also highlighted the importance of collaboration between research organisations, water managers and local communities to ensure that innovative solutions respond to real territorial needs.
Representatives from the Instituto Geológico y Minero de España – Consejo Superior de Investigaciones Científicas (IGME-CSIC), coordinator of the project, the European Federation of Geologists, the Association for Macaronesian Research (AIM), the La Palma Research Centre (LPRC), GeoTenerife, GANARAGUA, the Tenisca Water Community and the Island Water Council of La Palma (CIALP) participated in the visits and exchanges.
Advancing WP4 implementation
The second day was dedicated to an in-depth WP4 working session focused on reviewing the status of activities, discussing operational and administrative challenges, and defining contingency measures to ensure successful implementation of the project objectives.
Partners shared updates on their respective tasks, reviewed timelines and deliverables, and agreed on a common roadmap for the coming months. Particular attention was given to overcoming implementation bottlenecks and strengthening coordination among organisations responsible for the development of the demonstrators.
The workshop concluded with the definition of actions, responsibilities and milestones aimed at reinforcing the delivery of WP4 activities and maximising the impact of the La Palma Deep Demonstrator.
Institutional support for water innovation and climate resilience
The programme concluded with an institutional meeting at the headquarters of the Cabildo de La Palma, where project partners met with the President of the island government, Sergio Rodríguez Fernández, to present the progress achieved so far and discuss the challenges and opportunities associated with the demonstrator’s implementation.
During the meeting, participants highlighted the strategic role of the Island Water Council of La Palma (CIALP) in implementing GENESIS activities and underlined the importance of continued institutional support to deliver long-term benefits for the island’s water resources and climate resilience.
The President reaffirmed the commitment of the island administration to support the initiative and recognised the potential of GENESIS to position La Palma at the forefront of European innovation in sustainable water management, groundwater protection and Nature-based Solutions.
Strengthening the La Palma Deep Demonstrator
The two-day event confirmed the strong commitment of local and international partners to the development of the La Palma Deep Demonstrator as a flagship example within GENESIS. Through site-based experimentation, stakeholder engagement and close cooperation between science and practice, the demonstrator is helping to create innovative pathways towards more resilient water systems and climate-adapted territories.
Funded by the European Union under the Horizon Europe programme and coordinated by the Instituto Geológico y Minero de España – Consejo Superior de Investigaciones Científicas (IGME-CSIC), GENESIS continues to advance the development and demonstration of Nature-based Solutions that contribute to water security, ecosystem restoration and climate resilience across Europe and beyond.