New Book Explores Tenerife's Water History
Geographer Eustaquio Villalba Moreno's new book, "History of Hydrogeological Knowledge of Tenerife," offering a fresh look at water management on volcanic islands, launches February 6 in La Laguna.
A new book, "History of Hydrogeological Knowledge of Tenerife," offers a fresh look at water management on volcanic islands. Water has always been a scarce but vital resource for islands like the Canary Islands. Written by geographer and historian Eustaquio Villalba Moreno, the book was published jointly by the La Laguna City Council and the Center for Canarian Popular Culture. It provides a thorough analysis of how our understanding of the island's groundwater has developed over time.
The book will be launched on Friday, February 6, at 7:00 PM at the San Borondón Hall in La Laguna (C/Daute, Nº1). It explores how Tenerife's geology affects the movement of water underground. Geologist Juan Jesús Coello, an expert in volcanology and groundwater, will speak at the launch. He will be joined by David Calvo, also a volcanologist and science communicator, who wrote the book's introduction.
In his research, Villalba Moreno brings together and examines past scientific studies on Tenerife's water systems. He also honors important figures in this field. The book highlights the work of pioneers like Manuel Navarro (1941-2013), Jesús Mesa Hernández (1922-2021), Carlos Soler Liceras, José Fernández Bethencourt, Juan Coello (1941-2005), and especially Telesforo Bravo, all of whom were crucial to understanding the island's water resources.
Villalba explains that the book traces the history of hydrogeological studies, starting from early research. These studies showed how geological features like dikes, red clays, and compacted volcanic rock affect how water moves and collects. He points out that the vital basal aquifer – a key underground water source for the island – wasn't fully understood until the latter half of the last century, largely due to the work of Hans Hausen and Telesforo Bravo.
Eustaquio Villalba Moreno, born in Vallehermoso (La Gomera) in 1949, earned his degree in Geography and History from the University of La Laguna in 1973. He has had a long career in academia and public education. He taught at universities in Las Palmas and La Laguna, and later as a high school professor until he retired. Since 1974, Villalba has published many works, including "El Teide, a historical look" and "Landslides, tsunamis, and volcanic crises. Half a century of geological controversies in the Canary Islands." He has also co-authored several atlases and books about protected natural areas. His dedication to sharing scientific knowledge is also evident in his role as spokesperson for the Tenerife Association of Friends of Nature (ATAN) and his ten years on the radio program "Planeta Vivo Radio."