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ARCHIVED - La Palma homeowners forbidden to rebuild on land destroyed by lava
New land masses created by the lava from the volcanic eruption on La Palma meeting the sea will become State property
As the lava flow from the Cumbre Vieja volcano on the Canary Island of La Palma makes its slow and steady progress toward the coast, local law dictates that any new land formations created by the volcanic matter solidifying on contact with the sea will become the public domain of the State.
According to the Natural Heritage and Biodiversity Law of 2007, any new geological formations will be part of the Island’s heritage and the newly created land will be protected.
The issue may be moot, however, as experts claim that if the flow of lava continues its gradual slowdown it may not reach the coast at all, with the National Geographic Institute insisting on Thursday September 23 that this certainly won’t occur over the next couple of days.
The land situation is somewhat different, though undoubtedly more complex, for residents of La Palma whose homes were buried by lava after the volcano erupted last Sunday. These plots will remain private, with volcanologist of the Illustrious College of Geologists, José Luis Barrera, explaining that only newly generated land enters into the public sphere. However, the home owners will not be permitted to rebuild their houses on their property, as the areas will most likely be declared protected.
The regional government is now faced with the “complex” decision of where to rehouse the displaced residents, with two options currently being considered: a direct exchange of the land with the owners for a new plot, or the creation of a dedicated town or village to relocate those affected.
According to Mr Barrera, the “cheapest” solution would be to build a small new village and to grant land similar in size to the previous owners. However, the expert has stressed that the most important consideration at this point is where to relocate people to, as the Cumbre Vieja volcano is certain to erupt again at some point in the future.
The volcanologist is also adamant that the loss of homes, businesses and crops could have been avoided as the administration knew, through a serious of official documents, that properties built in the last 50 years were in the volcano’s direct eruption path and at considerable risk.
Image: Facultad de Ciencias Geologicos
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