As part of the VOLCAN project, Dr. Joan Martí, Dr. Marta López and Marc Martínez visited El Hierro from 14 to 16 April. They met with political and technical representatives, gave a public talk and visited the Geopark, presenting the project and gathering current needs related to volcanic risk management on the island.
These sessions build on previous meetings held in Tenerife and La Palma and are part of a series of visits that will conclude with a forthcoming meeting in Lanzarote. On this occasion, the logistics were co-organised by the El Hierro Geopark, managed by Yurena Pérez.
On the morning of Tuesday 14 April, a meeting with political representatives took place at the Assembly Hall of the Cabildo of El Hierro. Attendees included authorities such as the President of the Cabildo, Alpidio Armas González, and the Councillor for the Environment, Jesús Pérez. The aim of the session was to present the current situation of volcanic risk in the Canary Islands, with a particular focus on El Hierro, as well as to introduce the VOLCAN project.
The following day, Wednesday 15 April in the morning, a second meeting was held with technical staff. Representatives from the Navy, the Guardia Civil, emergency services, Civil Protection, and sectors such as agriculture, livestock, fisheries and tourism took part. A participatory activity was carried out to identify current needs and challenges in volcanic risk management.
That same afternoon, at 19h, a public talk was held at the Mocanal Cultural Centre, attended by around 20 people. The session addressed volcanic hazards and their potential impacts in the Canary Islands, and included a participatory activity to gather citizens’ concerns and needs regarding risk communication. This created a space for dialogue and discussion.
Finally, on Thursday 16 April, Marta López and Marc Martínez visited the El Hierro Geopark, accompanied by geologist Gabriel López. During the visit, they gained further insight into the main challenges related to the management of the geopark.
The observations gathered during these sessions will be incorporated into the development of the VOLCAN project, particularly in the formulation of recommendations to improve volcanic risk management in the Canary Islands. They will also contribute to the development of the VOLCANBOX technological tool, designed for integrated volcanic risk analysis using artificial intelligence techniques.