Pressures and impacts evaluation of earth-sea effluent in the Canary Islands : case of Telde municipality

Abstract

This work tackles the issue of the management of information about land-sea effluent in the Canary Islands. These land-sea effluent constitute one of the pressures that effects the quality of coastal water masses. The control of these discharges is not only necessary for the possible consequences to the coastal system but, also as indicators of control and evolution of this type of pressure. In the Canary Islands there is a public register in the form of files of land-sea effluent whose latest update is 2008. The new requirements of the legislation on water quality, the administrative information, the demand for scientific and technical information and the obligation to inform citizens are some of the aspects that this type of record should cover. For sizing up this work we have exemplified a part of the current record by using the waste land-sea that affect, the Municipality of Telde as representative of the total census. In order to fulfil the objectives a review of the information requirements is carried out which offers a public file in terms of regulations at European, State or Regional level. This information should be organized so that it covers three areas: administrative management, technical (scientific) and the management of these effluent in a relevant way adapted to the general public. The work analyzes the current tabs in 2008 in relation to the Municipality of Telde. It is underline the indicators on deficits of information and the need for introduction of management. It is a proposal for a new information file by establishing criteria which should cover the three aspects described above. A new file design is created which adds dynamic updating and generates a proposal on codes of symbols and colors. The citizens would be able to value this information and land-sea effluent management in a simple and concise way.