Transition studies the capital’s coastline to curb sea‑level rise
The work also measured coastal erosion, with a resolution of 25 centimetres. The ADAPTACOST6 project of the Department of Ecological Transition has €2.3 million to study the impact of climate change on strategic areas of the Canary coastline. In Fuerteventura, the investment in the field campaigns carried out between June and August was €111,000.
The Department of Ecological Transition and Energy of the Canary Islands Government has carried out a measurement campaign along the maritime front between the Puerto del Rosario pier and the industrial zone of Las Salinas, on Fuerteventura. The aim is to map depth, underwater relief and seabed composition in order to plan adaptation measures against sea‑level rise and coastal erosion. The budget to analyse these six areas across the Canary Islands amounts to €111,300, while the overall ADAPTACOST6 project totals €2,317,300, according to a press release from the department headed by Mariano H. Zapata.
High‑Resolution Climate Scenarios for 2050
The operation on Fuerteventura’s coastline has produced a detailed submarine map covering 3.7 million m², with a 25 cm resolution, and has collected sediment samples to determine substrate texture and characteristics.
“It is an area with critical infrastructure, such as the thermal power plant and the desalination plant.”
— Mariano H. Zapata
Minister of Ecological Transition and Energy Mariano H. Zapata emphasized that “Puerto del Rosario is a strategic enclave and, at the same time, vulnerable to climate‑change effects, because this stretch of coast hosts critical infrastructure like the thermal power plant and the desalination plant, alongside residential areas such as the El Charco neighbourhood.”
He added that “having high‑precision scientific information allows us to anticipate risks, reduce uncertainties and design effective adaptation solutions that guarantee the safety of the population and essential services in the coming decades.”
Zapata also noted that, with the data obtained, “high‑resolution climate scenarios for 2050 will be developed, enabling the simulation of various flooding and erosion situations. This will form the basis for prioritising and sizing adaptation measures within the Canary Islands’ coastal‑resilience strategy.”
The work was performed by ECOS Estudios Ambientales y Oceanografía S.L., contracted by TRAGSATEC, the entity responsible for coordinating the ADAPTACOST6 project.
Field campaigns took place from June to August 2025, using a multi‑beam echo‑sounder, inertial navigation and motion‑compensation techniques to ensure result accuracy.
The Puerto del Rosario study is part of the ADAPTACOST6 assignment, which includes six coastal zones across the islands of Fuerteventura, La Palma, La Gomera, Tenerife, Gran Canaria and Lanzarote.