B U I L D I N G A N I S L A N D O N A H U M A N S C A L E

BIOSPHERERESERVE

CONSERVATION of landscapes,

ecosystems,species and

genetic variation

DEVELOPMENTfoster economic andhuman development

which is socio-culturallyand ecologically

LOGISTIC SUPPORTSupport for demonstrationprojects, environmentaleducation and training.International network

CORE AREA

BUFFER ZONE

TRANSITION AREA

CANARY ISLANDS

XXI century Man is caughtbetween two apparently incompatible is-sues. On the one hand, there is his needto strike a balance and live in harmonywith Nature, and, on the other, materialprogress, which, in the form that it hasbeen conceived so far, has degraded oursurroundings at an alarming rate.

The first message that we want to trans-mit from our small island is that we arefirmly convinced that it is possible to main-tain a healthy relationship between peopleand Nature. The initiatives that we have im-plemented show this to be so and we be-lieve that it is essential to disseminate thestrategy we have used - sustainable devel-opment - and the results we have obtained.

We understand sustainable develop-ment to be a kind of integral human, so-cial and economic development that usesresources in such a way as not to com-promise their availability for future gen-erations This new concept of developmentmakes people and their quality of life thecentre and the objectiveof each and everyone ofthe projects we have un-dertaken, in all areas.

Examples of sustainabledevelopment are harness-ing run-off waters, recy-cling solid waste, harness-ing solar and wind en-ergy, taking care of thelandscape as a source ofwelfare and tourist in-come, the production of

natural farm produce, treating and re-usingwater, generating creative and worthy jobs,making use of our natural wells by improv-ing water quality and preventing salt waterfrom infiltrating the water table, diversify-ing our economy, providing our senior citi-zens with means for participating, promot-ing our traditional architecture, establishingfair trading and responsible consumption,disseminating the wisdom of our traditionsand customs, listening to and motivatingthe young, providing access to training andinformation, etc. ...

Degrading the countryside, squander-ing raw materials and energy, ignoringour culture and worrying too much aboutalmost everything we consume are notexamples of sustainable development.

The island of El Hierro has firmly opted fora sustainable development that can createopportunities for its inhabitants and sharethe wealth among the whole population. Inconsequence, projects that are incompat-ible with this idea of social cohesion have

been rejected and the Is-land Cabildo (Govern-ment) officially adoptedthe Sustainable Develop-ment Programme in ple-nary session, in Novem-ber, 1997, and it has beenimplementing this pro-gramme ever since. Thisprogramme includes ini-tiatives in the fields of Ar-chitecture, Farming, thecreation of Enterprises,

El Hierrobuilding an island on a human scale

Heritage, Water management, productionand use of Energy, Waste and Materials man-agement and recycling, Transport, the LocalEconomy, Culture and Training, Fishing andTourism.

Because we believe that this doublestrategy of development and respect forour environment, culture and human dig-nity is the one that will ensure the bestresults for our people and other commu-nities, we took the decision to create the ElHierro Biosphere Reserve. Today, this im-portant declaration is a stamp of qualityfor all our initiatives, both present andfuture, and will assure us an internationalprojection for our island and facilitate pub-lic participation within El Hierro.

I would like to take this opportunity to callon the people of the island, at all levels, tocontribute your ideas and to play an activerole in this fascinating and creative initia-tive that is so full of opportunities. You arewelcome to share the experience and know-how that we have gained with other enti-ties and communities. We believe that thisis the best way to show solidarity, createsynergies and build a better planet.

I cannot close without first raising somequestions: What is progress? Why do wewant progress? Progress is finding ourplace in the universe.

The elderly people of our island tell us that,once the basic needs of food, shelter andhealth are covered, the better we get onwith those around us, the happier we are.

Tomás Padrón

President of the El Hierro Island Council

In the early eighties, El Hierro decidedto put its money on developing andmodernising the primary sector at a timewhen the whole of the Canary Islands haddecided that mass tourism was the onlyprofitable option in the short term. It wasdecided to take a more cautious stance,thanks to which, we can now feel proudthat we have not irreversibly mortgagedour land.

With the passage of time, it was decidedto move into the practical phase of creatinga stable development model. So, for instance,trials were run in macrobiotic farming tosee for ourselves if it was possible to gethigh yield, in both quantity and quality, with-out having to use synthetic pesticides andfertilisers. Seeing that the production ofhealthy produce was not incompatible withhigh yield encouraged us to go further, sowe got involved in designing farms, farm-houses and even the neighbouring village.This was the approach to design systemspreached by Permaculture, which acted as a

foundation for drawing up the SustainableDevelopment Programme that is currentlybeing implemented.

The proposals taken on board by thisprogramme included the creation of a bodyresponsible for evaluating and monitoringprojects, disseminating results and under-taking studies. On learning first hand aboutthe experiences of other island BiosphereReserves like Minorca, we understood thatthis was the body that could cover our needsand aspirations. It was a benchmark thatreinforced the function of creating chan-nels for the general public to participate indesigning their future, planning develop-ment, exchanging information and expe-riences in an international network andwork on quality policies.

For all these reasons, it was decided tocarry out the actions that moved us towardgetting the island declared a Biosphere Re-serve, with a combined efforts from theisland administration, the help provided byUNESCO itself and by the MaB Programme.

At this point, having taken this importantstep, we faced the challenge of going deeperinto public participation in designing thefuture that we wanted for the island. That iswhy the Biosphere Reserve's Sectorial Coun-cil will be an important meeting place.

But, we must not forget that continuingeducation for the people, both in the val-ues to be transmitted to projects and ElHierro society, and in professional know-how, represents the axis of activity of boththe present and the immediate future.There will be no real sustainability, how-

The History of Sustainability on El HierroHow did the Biosphere Reserve come about?

The practical strategy used

When we started work on designing the projects

to be carried out, the first thing we did was tovisit places that had already made a specific

partial aspect of sustainability a reality. We vis-ited places and organisations that had carried

out projects in the fields of re-cycling, solidarityin the local economy, macrobiotic agriculture,

harnessing renewable energies, etc.

The next step consisted of translating those

experiences to our own particular conditionsand studying our traditions to merge our island

roots with the new information we were acquir-ing.

Finally we asked ourselves: if each of these

partial aspects of sustainability can be turnedinto reality in those places, why can't we turn

all of them into reality at the same time, hereon our island.? And we got down to work.

ever much investment, projects and infra-structure we create, if we do not have "sus-tainable people", that is, people who are inharmony with themselves, with the societythey live in and with their environment.

To achieve this, training is essential inthe area of Personal Development. Humanresources are the main asset for our is-land, as they are for any company. We can-not make any serious progress insustainability without a change of men-tality and a new way of seeing the prob-lems and opportunities of our society.

A Biosphere Reserve is a well-conserved area with outstandingenvironmental assets, in which acommunity of people have settled anddeveloped a form of economic and socialprogress that is compatible with caringfor the environmental resources thatsustain it.

Biosphere reserves add many new ele-ments to the traditional idea of protectingthe environment and natural resources.They are also places in which programmesof sustainable development are put intopractise, in accordance with the guidelinesarising from the Rio Conference of 1992and those contained in the Seville Statutesadopted by the International Network ofBiosphere Reserves.

Sustainable development is understoodto be the chance to administer our naturaland cultural resources reasonably in thepresent, so that we can bequeath them,enriched if possible, to future generations.Sustainability, therefore, is a commitment tothe present as administrators of a heritage,and to the future, by guaranteeing thebest possible legacy for our children.

Biosphere reserves are pro-posed by governments, throughnational MaB Programme com-mittees. To be declared a Bio-sphere Reserve, an area mustmeet certain criteria and com-ply with a minimum set of con-ditions. To achieve this status, anarea must comply with at least threebasic functions:

What is a Biosphere Reserve?The International Network

•Conservation function, to maintain land-scapes, biodiversity, genetic variation andeco-systems, meaning that a reserve shouldcontain a sufficiently extensive sample of atypical ecosystem of the bio-geographicregion it belongs to, in accordance withcriteria of diversity, natural condition andeffectiveness as a conservation unit.•Development function, based on the factthat reserves should be places where to putinto practise actual economic and human,socio-culturally and ecologically sustainabledevelopment programmes, and must alsoserve as a yardstick for similar areas.•Logistic function, aimed a providing anoperational base and support for demon-stration projects, research and environmen-tal education and training, as well as con-tributing to the consolidation of the inter-national network of reserves through com-munication, co-operation and information.

In order to enhance the management andprotection of natural and heritage resources

and guarantee an adequate relationship be-tween Man and the environment, each re-serve should contain three kinds of areas:•One or more strictly protected core ar-eas, with samples of natural or minimallyaltered ecosystems•A buffer zone surrounding the core areain which the normal activities carried outare compatible with, or complementary tothe assets sited in the protected zone.More specifically, these activities should berelated to research, environmental educa-tion, traditional customs or land uses, orecological tourism.•A transition area , which should cover thefunction of responsible development in thefields of agricultural, livestock and fishingactivities, human settlements, tourism andother uses where the local communities,scientists, managers, non-governmental or-ganisations, the economic sector and otherinterested players work together in adminis-tering the reserve within the framework ofa strategy of sustainable development.

The main advantages enjoyed by an areawhen it is declared a Biosphere Reserve

are: an improvement in the qualityof life for its inhabitants and for

future generations; improvedplanning for lasting develop-ment; an improvement in eco-nomic activities as a conse-quence of the policies of qual-

ity implemented; the potentialoffered by the exchange of infor-

mation, experiences and know-howwith other international programmes and

reserves, as well as a greater international projec-tion for the area in question.

UNESCO (The United Nations Education, Scienceand Culture Organisation) is the agency that de-clares an area a Biosphere Reserve. At this momentin time, 391 reserves in 94 countries form an inter-national network that encompasses an exceptionalvariety of environments and territories, presentingthe most divers range of experiences and chal-lenges pertaining to Man's relations with the envi-ronment, to be found anywhere on Earth.

Given that El Hierro is an island, it seems logicalthat many of its references and partners in co-op-eration for the future should also be other islands.In this sense, it is worth mentioning that such em-blematic territories as the Galapagos Islands, theIsland of Rhum, the Virgin Islands, Minorca,Lanzarote, the Aleutian Islands, Taiaro Atoll andYakushima all form part of this network. That iswhy the El Hierro sustainable development pro-gramme has paid close attention to the experiencesand guidelines concerning sustainable develop-ment matters, that have been specifically gener-ated for islands, such as the Barbados Action Planfor the Sustainable Development of Small Island

States (1994), the European IslandAgenda (Minorca 1997) and the

World Sustainable TourismCharter (1995) promotedby INSULA (International

Scientific Coun-cil for Island De-velopment) withthe support ofUNESCO.

The Core Area includes:The Mencafete Integral Nature Reserve, which contains one of the best examples ofhumid juniper forests of the entire Canary Islands and one of the best examples of El

Hierro laurel forest.

Los Roques de Salmor Integral Nature Reserve, composed of marine rocks that arewitnesses to the erosion of the shoreline, set in a coastal landscape of extraordinary

value.Tibataje Special Nature Reserve, made up of a spectacular cliff area of great geo-

morphological and scenic value. It includes the only known site of the Giant Lizard of ElHierro (Gallotia simonyi machadoi), a true living fossil in danger of extinction.

La Restinga Marine Reserve, located on the south coast of the island, close to theisland's most important fishing grounds. The marine environment is known as Mar de Las

Calmas (Sea of Calms), an area sheltered from the prevailing winds and currents, withsteeply sloping, rugged sea bottoms and clear, warm waters. It is the richest area in

commercially interesting species of fish and of vital importance as a breeding ground andnursery.

The Buffer Zone includes:Frontera Rural Park . This area combines natural areas in a good state of conservation,

with areas of farmland and traditional livestock rearing, sometimes communal, as in LaDehesa (the only common system that still survives in the Canary Islands).

Las Playas Natural Monument. This is a geo-morphological unit that is representative ofone of the most characteristic processes of the geology of El Hierro, containing a

magnificent sheer structure of great landscape and scenic interest. It also encompassesa good example of rock habitats in a good state of conservation and with a wide variety

of flora.Ventejis Protected Landscape. This space combines important landscape and cultural

assets. It is an harmonious rural landscape dominated by the dry stone walls that are sotypical of El Hierro, with a profusion of volcanic cones as outstanding elements.

Timijiraque Protected Landscape. An area that includes important up-wellings showingthe geological history of the island, set in a bare landscape of deep gorges that have

hardly been touched by Man. On the slopes, there are important remains of cacti that nolonger survive elsewhere, and other rare plants.

The Transition AreaThe rest of the island. This is the area where most economic activity and practically all

human settlement are concentrated. It represents the area in which to implement thesustainable development projects dealing with all sectors of island life.

The MaB Programme (Man andthe Biosphere), created by

UNESCO in 1971, is an international scientific programme of research,training, dissemination and demonstration that is being implemented inover 100 countries around the world.

The island's network of protectedareas, under the different categories ofthe Canary Islands Natural Spaces Act,offers a suitable framework forguaranteeing the conservation andmanagement of the main habitats andspecies requiring protection. It includes thebest examples of laurel forest, wax myrtle-tree heath habitat, juniper, spurges andthe habitats of endangered species,including the famous giant lizard of ElHierro, plus the island's abundant andvaried bird life. It also covers exceptionallandscapes and geological monuments likeenormous cliffs and chorded lavaformations of great visual beauty.

But, as this is an island, the local popula-tion could not ignore the sea, so the LaRestinga Marine Fisheries Reserve was cre-ated at the initiative of the fishermen them-selves, thus becoming a genuine model ofsustainable fisheries management.

Furthermore, El Hierro has a singularman-made landscape, and possibly oneof the best con- served in the Canary Is-

lands. Suc-c e s -

Biodiversity and Heritage ConservationIntegrated tourism and environmentally friendly products

sive episodes of the excitingisland history have scatteredthe landscape with land-marks that, like an openbook, still enable us to un-derstand the complex proc-ess of how the local inhabit-ants have adapted to thisland. From the caves and shel-ters of the original settlers,the Bimbaches, with their cu-rious and surprising spatialorganisation, to the con-figuration of the traditionalhabitat of El Hierro, we getthe impression of an islandfull of deep suggestions. Thisis a place, for example, wherewe can still find remains ofthe rich traditional water cul-ture, with its rain water tanks,ponds, drinking troughs,"guársamos" (hollows or channels cutinto the branches and trunks of large treesto collect rain water) and "eres" (rock cavi-ties, also for collecting rain water), or aprofusion of engravings and

pre-historic remains like those of El Julan.For all these reasons, it is hardly surpris-

ing that, together with the necessary pro-tection and management of these land-scapes, natural habitats and rich historic

heritage, the island has opted forthe idea of recognising

all this as a basicasset for

futurede-

The La Restinga Marine Re-serve in the Mar de Las Calmas,

together with the network of ru-ral footpaths and sporting ac-

tivities, has become one of thepillars of a tourist product that

is sensitive and well suited tothe environment. After implant-

ing the marine reserve, pro-moted by the fishermen them-

selves, there has been an in-

crease in the island's fishingresources, as well as an in-

crease in the number of leisuredivers who come to our waters all year round, generating increased

incomes in the multitude of small restaurant businesses, and theservices sector in general.

The best reference for this strategy of tourist improvement is thefact that every year, the island hosts the Foto-Sub Open and national

and international underwater photography championships.

velopment. This is the context in which aninnovative, quality tourist strategy is beingimplemented that is friendly to the re-sources it is based on.

Compared with other conventional, im-personal and rigid products of sun, sea andsand, El Hierro offers a low density productbased on the skilful management of its re-sources, giving priority to local control ofthe tourist industry. This is a policy that is

The Guinea Eco-museum, together with the Lizard Breeding Centre, are a fine example of how tofocus a quality tourist project, where visitors go to the complex to find out how traditional local

dwellings, customs and ways of life have evolved through history. Visitors can see an exhibitionon the Giant Lizard of El Hierro (Lacerta simonyi machadoi), the most endangered reptile species

in Europe, which is now on the road to recovery, thanks to the research and captive breeding workdone here in this centre. The visit is guided by young people trained at the El Hierro Rural Tourism

School-Workshop. These young people are doing their bit to improve the range of services offeredby a respectful tourism that comes to the island in search of its natural environment, its singular

customs and its peace and quiet.

Living traditions are the expression of the people's respect forthe intense history of their island.

Crafts represent a living resource to be fully developed fromthe base of the El Alfar Centre.

producing excellent results and excellent ex-amples of the tourist industry co-operatingin favour of sustainable development andconservation. This idea of a harmoniousco-existence can be seen in initiatives likerecovering deteriorated rural housing touse as tourist accommodation, or creatingvisitors' centres like the Lizard BreedingCentre or the Guinea Village, where tour-ism is a complementary factor to the safeguarding of species and the recovery ofthe historic heritage.

New ideas and projects are following thispromising line of merging, a stamp that canbe seen on initiatives like the "Casa delAguardiente" (Spirit Museum), in Frontera,aimed at recovering the wine culture, thecreation of an interpretation centre in theOrchilla Lighthouse, the historic meridian"0", the window on the sea in La Restinga,the Garoe Water Theme Park or the El Julanvisitors' centre. All these actions are governedby the idea of quality, respect and integra-tion as the creative hand of Cesar Manriqueexpressed it so well in the La Peña look-out.

Restoring traditional houses for rural tour-ism that generates positive effects on

the environment, the island's heritage

and the income of the local population,has an excellent example to follow in the

Guinea hamlet.

The history of El Hierro has beendetermined by water and a fear of watershortage. The geological characteristics ofthe island are a serious constraint on theisland's ability to harness water, forcingthe inhabitants to develop a rich andcomplex water culture. Water has alwaysbeen collected in a thousand different wayson the island, and this is reflected by thefact that Garoe or Holy Tree, which usedcapture abundant water by distilling theTrade Wind mists, is still a local emblem.Based on this long experience, the Hydro-logical Plan becomes a cornerstone of thestrategy of sustainable development. Thisis a dynamic plan that maintains and re-covers efficient traditional systems, whileat the same time incorporating moderntechnologies and infrastructure that havebeen adapted to the fragile island envi-ronment.The actions in the plan include aspectsaimed at studying water resources, for thepurpose of sensible decision making, such

Respectingthe water cycle

as quality control of the waters in El Golfo,assessing the re-charging of aquifers,simulating and modelling flows and en-hancing hydro-meteorological knowl-edge.

But, at the same time as the infor-mation on water resources hasincreased, steps have beentaken to advance realprogrammesaimed atachievingsustainablewater man-agement. Themain initiatives focuson:•Maximising the volume of

treated waste waters•Increasing the use of treated waters

in farming, thus closing the cycle.•Improving the island distribution net-

•Saving and efficiency•Dripping irrigation•Best practices inurban consumption

Desalinating plants:

WATER-ENERGY

Pumping-distributionWater ring

Individual exploitationsCisterns + Collectingrainwater from roads andother exposed areas

WATER COLLECTINGHorizontal rainfallTraditional systemsNew technologiesIncrease of forested areas

WELLS-GALLERIES

Collectingsubterranean waters

Island ring

URBAN SUPPLY

IRRIGA

TION

STOCKBREEDING

PURIFIC

ATION

Disseminating the water culture is an es-sential aspect of guaranteeing a future andrespect for water resources. The promotionof the Garoe Theme Park, and opening theisland's main water gallery to the public,give visitors the chance to see just howmuch effort it takes to obtain water on ElHierro.

work, thus reducing losses to a mini-mum and allowing a more balanceduse of water.

•Completing the reservoir plan•Increasing forest mass as a natural catch-

ment system, especially on the Nisdafeplateau.

•Recovering, reinforcing and improvingtraditional stand-alone catchment systems.

•Introducing innovative water-saving sys-tems for irrigation, domestic water useand services.

The recovery of traditional water tanks has been a constant trend inrecent years.

A bio-system for re-cycling water, nutrients and

energy has been built and is currently operatingas a prototype for many potential solutions to be

used all over the island. The prototype consists ofa small farm with 30 pigs, built in a style that is

very similar to the traditional island architecture,a methane digester, a gravel bed for producing

forage plants, a pond of water plants and a meth-ane gas driven electric generator.

The system will have a pool for rearing fish(tilapias) and beds for growing algae.

This way, the problem of pig slurries is turned intoa solution: methane gas is produced to be used

as fuel for the electric generator and the liquid

effluent is treated in the volcanic gravel beds,producing forage biomass (Phragmites sp.). It

then passes through the pond of water plants, inwhich water lentils (Lemna sp.), Azolla and other

water plants are grown, coming out as treatedwater suitable for irrigation.

Reverse osmosis desalinating plant

• Experimenting with artificial cloudcondensing systems.

• Recovering run-off waters fromroads and large areas.Apart from all these measures, the

authorities have opted firmly fornew technologies that recoverwaste waters, providing fertilisersand producing energy in the formof bio-gas, and for renewable en-ergy sources like the Trade Winds,an ally for desalinating sea water andslaking the island's thirst and avoid-ing the destruction of its aquifers.

Digestor, Water Plant Pondand Tilapia Pool.

Water lentil and Azolla

Pond of Water Plants

In the next few years, El Hierro willbecome one of the first islands in the worldto guarantee its energy supply needs fromrenewable energy sources. The projectsproposed for the island have alreadybecome an international benchmark forother islands in the world. In fact, this isone of the most emblematic actions ofthe ambitious strategy laid out in theEuropean Commission's White Paper onRenewable Energies, which establishesthe election of 100 100% renewable energycommunities to form part of a demon-stration project to set an example as partof the Island 2010 initiative promoted bythe Altener Programme.

El Hierro is making this qualitative leapand meeting this technological challengeon the basis of simplicity and the experi-ences of Samso, in Denmark, Aran, in Ire-land and La Madeleine, in France.

100% RES electricity supply is guaranteedwith a mixed system comprised of a 10 Mwwind farm that harnesses the free, but vari-able energy of the wind to pump water to areservoir 600 m above sea level. This water,and its potential energy, runs downhillthrough a pipeline to sea level, where itdrives a turbine that produces electricity inaccordance with the demands of the mo-ment, thus guaranteeing a quality electric-ity supply. There is another reservoir next tothe turbine, with the same capacity as theother one (250,000 m3) that collects thefresh water for pumping back up to the topreservoir, thus completing the cycle.

The system also includes a sea-waterdesalation plant. Once the reservoirs arefull, the desalation plant can cover lossesfrom the system from evaporation andsupply irrigation water for the is-land's foothills farms, thus guar-anteeing fruit and vegetablecrops, both for domesticconsumption and exportfrom the island, and pro-viding fo-rage forthe islandlivestock.

The 100% renewableenergy strategy also ad-dresses the fields of har-nessing solar-thermal en-ergy and photovoltaic energyapplications. But, furthermore, it

Sun, wind and water, our new allies100% of energy supplied from renewable energy sources

Demand-sidemanagement

Rational useof energy

Source

WIND

Source

BIOMASS

Sour

ce

SOLA

R

DESALINATION

Waterproduction

BIOGAS

SOLA

R TH

ERM

AL

ACS-

cool

ingW

arm

air

BIOCLIMATIC

also covers sectors like transport, promot-ing the use of electric transport (zeroemissions) and the general implementa-tion of producing water by desalinatingsea water. The two systems are also excel-lent storage systems for the surplus pro-vided by the variable forces of the sunand wind.

Solar heating panels used in the greenhouses at El Golfo.

As the ideal technology for the non-polluting electric transport of the future, fuel cells, can

not yet be implemented at a reasonable price, steps have been taken to use hybrid transportsystems (electric - conventional) and pure electric systems (batteries), as steps along the

path towards zero emissions.

The relationship water-energy is an essential

aspect of the sustainable development strat-egy laid down in El Hierro. Desalinating sea

water with renewable energy is also an excel-lent system for storing surplus energy gener-

ated basically by the wind.

Particular attention has been paid to eliminat-ing the impact on the landscape of power and

telephone lines. In recent years, work hasstarted on the ambitious project of running ca-

bles underground in the most sensitive areas.This is the first step towards the complete elimi-

nation of visual contamination.

Integral projects like wa-ter treatment (anaerobic) that produce bio-gas

and clean water, in parallel with a wind-drivendesalation plant, are autonomous examples of

having opted for sustainable development.

100% RES

WIND POWEREDHYDRAULIC SYSTEM

Pumping station

Hydraulic power stationDesalinating plants

Wind Farm

Accumulation system.Storage of wind energy in

a dam for its posteriortransformation through

hydraulic turbines.

The 100% renewables strategy not onlyconcerns electricity production. At the

same time, El Hierro has started to de-velop an ambitious programme to harness

solar-thermal energy for producing hotwater, and, in the near future, for cooling,

and for implementing stand-alone photo-voltaic systems in isolated ones and oth-

ers that are connected to the grid.

IMPORTS

Minimising packingand unnecessaryproducts

RECYCLINGMINIMISATION

RE-USE

Sending surplusglass, plastic, paperand scrap iron.

Sending oils,batteries and toxicwastes for theiroverseas treatment

Minimum wasteto a controlleddump

Agricultural andstockbreedingWASTE

The management of solid waste, orsolid resources, as we prefer to call them,is done on the island by applying a strategyof selective collection, with the sortingcarried out in households and companies.We have decided to invest in training forour people, instead of resorting to theformula of buying costly sortingequipment. To achieve this, we have carriedout a large number of awareness andeducation campaigns in schools, highschools, student residences, seniorcitizens' associations, housewives

Waste or useable materials?Zero Waste Strategy

source and recoveryof the useful fractions of

solid urban waste, they alsoaddress all the waste that isgenerated by all activities.Some examples will illustrate

the strategy of zero waste:• recovery of materials generated from

clearing the undergrowth, to shred forcompost.

• In the livestock sector, not only manureand slurries are recovered, initiativeshave been started in re-using serum.

• An Island Office for Aggregate and Rub-ble has been created, which includesthe restoration of quarries, but the nec-essary steps have also been taken to in-corporate appropriate technology forrecovering rubble for reuse in building.

associations and businesses all overthe island.

In every village and hamlet ofthe island, thereare containersfor sorting glass,plastic and metalpackaging, paperand cardboard.Most shops have

boxes for re-cy-cling used batteriesand chemistseven collect usedmedicines ormedicines that arepast their sell-by date. Garages andworkshops have a re-cycling serviceavailable for engine oil.

The fact that we now consider what isgenerally known as rubbish, as a set ofmaterials that can be re-used, and there-fore, acquire new value, has been ourinspiration for developing an integralpolicy for treating them. This takes on spe-cial importance in the light of the fact thatwaste management on islands is one ofthe most serious problems that influencestheir future. Therefore, the initiatives thathave been implemented, and those to beimplemented, do not just tackle sorting at

The "Puntos Limpios" (Clean Spots) inSan Andres and Frontera have become thesupport infrastructure for completingthese processes, as they house the plantfor composting, scrap metal recovery andcentres for collecting recyclable materialsand shipping them off the island; like plas-tic, glass, cardboard or metal.But a coherent integral recycling policywould not be complete if it did not takeinto account such important aspects aswaste prevention or minimisation, ortraining and active participation of thegeneral public. An example of this is theprogramme to always use returnable pack-ages for local products: bottles of wine,yoghurt cartons, honey cartons, sacks forhay, etc. This idea has become generalpractise among consumers too, and theirhave been successful campaigns for us-ing returnable shopping bags (made ofcloth) and food wrappings made of cornpolymer (recyclable) that are a perfect sub-stitute for plastic bags.

Pasteurised milk dispenser in island salespoints. This is an example of how to elimi-nate unnecessary packages and incorpo-rate a new way of marketing a local prod-uct.

In over 1500 householdsof the island, they have

waste bins divided intofour compartments to

facil itate sorting re-sources and recycling

them. These bins were

subsidised by theLeader-II programme.

There has also been a successful experi-ment in producing earth worms to trans-

form organic domestic waste from sort-ing, into humus for our farms. The earth

worms themselves are excellent food forbirds and fish.

On the island as a whole, the idea is to create "industrial

ecosystems" in line with the United Nations' ZERI strategy(zero emission research initiative), in order to make the

waste from one industry the raw material of another, some-thing that is already being applied to the agriculture-water-

livestock cycle.

We are currently recycling 17.4 kg of glassper inhabitant per year; 10.1 kg of paper and

cardboard per inhabitant per year and 0.9 kgof packaging per inhabitant and year. These

figures have grown each year since we startedthe programme 4 years ago.

San Andres Clean Spot, a complexfor treating and recycling waste.

The starting point for maintaining andeven revaluing the agricultural andlivestock sector has been a single, clearand simple idea: we can raise the qualityof our produce healthily, by applying thecriteria of biological farming and livestockbreeding and, at the same time, make itmore profitable.

The farmers of El Hierro have opted forquality, instead of quantity, for variety anddiversification instead of homogeneity,and for respect for the landscape and ru-ral heritage instead of their destruction.In short, they have made good the wordsof Shumaker when he stated that “small isbeautiful and viable”.

This change of attitude is the resultof a period of hard

work, in

Biological FarmingYoung Farmers

which many actions have been taken tochange most of the island’s production,from conventional to ecological methodsof production. Evidence of this effort is thefact that large areas of apple, fig, plum andapricot orchards, grazing land and livestockholdings have been registered with theEcological Agriculture Regulatory Council.

After the first few years of experience,we can now say that it is possible to ob-tain biological products with high yields,intense flavours and good conservationproperties, and respect consumer health,by improving creativity in the work of thefarmer, as well as his job security condi-tions and protecting his income.

This work would

not be viable however, without the essen-tial complementary support of training foryoung farmers, to allow the younger gen-erations to start taking over, and withoutpilot, or demonstration farms, where newtechniques and procedures can be testedwith qualified technical and scientific as-sistance, maintaining the rich geneticheritage of the island, such as in the caseof grape vine and potato varieties.

To guarantee these requisites, the YoungFarmers Farm and the “Los Palmeros” Farmhave been created. These two complemen-tary projects enable young farmers to re-ceive training, as well as being a test bedfor adapting new ecological techniques

and even intro-

ducing new activities like aquaculture, and act as a tram-poline into the world of agriculture. Young farmers aregiven a plot of land, and whatever it yields, until theyreach professional maturity. This cycle will be closed withthe new School of Ecological Agriculture.

Experiments have been done into the production of

intense crops, like bananas, with ecological tech-niques, and the results have been excellent. After

five years, we are getting a yield of 38 kg per plantand a market price that is 40% above the price of

conventional fruit, thanks the mar-

keting done by the Co-operativesand by Mercahierro.

In the area of growing biological ba-nanas, our island has increased pro-

duction from 40 tons/year to 330tons/year and the yield per plot are

the highest in the area.

For two years, ecological fruitand vegetables have been mar-

keted that are grown on a seriesof farms given over to a group

of young farmers in order tomake the necessary generational

change over easier. The systemof ecological production does not

cause any major technical prob-

lems, yields are high and theprices obtained at market are

satisfactory and guaranteed bythe corresponding commercial

agreements.

One permanent concern is to maintain traditional, cultural

rural landscapes of great value, and their most typicalelements: drinking troughs, enclosures and dry stone

walls.

Distributor of fresh meat fromecologically reared livestock.

Experiments are now being doneon growing ecological pineap-ples, the other intensive crop onthe island.

The productive structure of many sub-sectors of production on the island isorganised around Co-operatives, as in thecase of transport, rural tourism and theprimary sector.

The different co-operatives work to-gether to create systems of mutual sup-port to defend and market local products.This is the case of the Frontera Country-side Co-operative, the El Hierro LivestockBreeders Co-operative and thePescarestinga Co-operative of the Sea that,together with the Cabildo (Island Govern-ment), form the Mercahierro distributioncompany for marketing island products.Each partner has a 25% representation onthe board of directors.

Mercahierro provides an important serv-ice in distributing fruit from the foot hills,macrobiotic produce, rabbit, goat andlamb's meat, promoting agro-food prod-ucts, producing local feed and by provid-ing commercial support for the produc-tion of cheese, pineapples and wine.

Growers get the best prices through this

Social participationInstruments of cohesion

system by regulating production (mainlyof cheese and pineapples), thus allowingproduction to adapt to market conditions.Regulating supply also involves actionsaimed at improving presentation and gen-erating new processed products withgreater value added, which is the case, forexample, of the new initiatives to can qual-ity tuna. This will provide an outlet for sur-pluses and improve the financial yield fromthe sales of fresh produce that have beenrecorded in recent years. This increase anddistribution of income generates oppor-tunities and economic stability for a largesector of the island population.

The island economy continue along thepath to diversification it started out onyears ago, working towards an economythat combines primary sector productionwith a food industry to process this pro-duce and generate employment. At thesame time, the creation of a tourist indus-try aimed at rural tourism and tourism spe-cialising in activities like diving, horse rid-ing, or trekking, the creation of industries

derived from waste, or thedevelopment of new ad-vanced services will allow usto step into the new millen-nium with confidence. Thatis why the Island EmploymentPlan has taken on boardnovel proposals, mainly con-cerning training for the lo-cal people, financing entre-preneurs and promoting ini-

The processed food sector, aimed atquality products, is one of the mostsolid pillars of the new strategy ofsustainable development.

The Cheese Centre was thepioneer in processing dairyproducts and improving thesector's income.

tiatives that will enable the island to be-come a fully integrated member of theInformation Society.

Successful projects have been carried out increating businesses by providing access to cred-

its through the Leader II programme. ThreeInternet access centres have been made avail-

able to the population, and one video-confer-ence centre, to facilitate access to information,

and a branch of the Open University has been

created on the islandto facilitate training.

All of this is aimedat guaranteeing

equal opportuni-ties.

The Sectorial Council of the

Biosphere Reserve is an important forum forlocal society to take part in defining the future

we want for the island, having already organ-ised intersectorial workshops on social partici-

pation, in order to identify preferences. The nextstep to take in the immediate future is to define

a new set of Projects as part of a new Sustain-

able Development Programme or Agenda 21,designed, right from the very foundations, by

the inhabitants of the island as a whole.

WASTE1 Compost (SDW, agricultural, livestock, forestry)2 Clean Spots. Accumulation of:

(organic waste, glass, paper, plastic, metal)3 Bio-treatment plants and fertiliser4 Waste recovery, fish processing5 Biogas Pilot Project6 Storage Point7 Recycling Technical School8 Reuse of rubble9 Scrap metal

10 Serum recycling farm11 Rejects, Landfill12 Rubble (disposed in abandoned quarries)

WATER1 Treatment Plant2 Desalination plant3 Desalination plant4 Desalination plant5 Well of Los Padrones6 Catchment system7 Reforestation at Nisdafe8 Catchment of water from roads

ENERGY1 Wind Farm2 Wind Hydro System3 Hybrid Bus Pilot Project4 Electric Transport Project5 Stand-alone rural electrification

HERITAGE AND NETWORK OF CENTRES1 Pozo de la Salud2 Meridian Zero Museum3 El Julan Visitors’ Centre4 Window on the Sea5 Nature School6 La Albarrada Hamlet7 Garoé Park8 Alfar Pottery Centre9 Ethnography Museum

10 Pozo de las Calcosas11 La Peña Look-out12 Water Museum (Well of Los Padrones)13 Guinea Village, Lizard Breeding Centre14 Los Palmeros Farm15 Spirit Museum

AGRICULTURE1 Cereals Nisdafe2 Soil Laboratory3 Compost Plant4 Modernising the Wine Centre5 Maintaining Fig growing, El Pinar6 New areas under irrigation, Hoya de los Roques7 New areas under irrigation, Los Llanillos8 New areas under irrigation, La Tabla9 Agro-tourism model farm

10 Los Palmeros Farm, Seed bank11 Young Farmers’ Farm12 Biological Agriculture School13 Processing dried fruits

LIVESTOCK1 Pilot project, Aquaculture in ponds2 Pilot initiative, Ecological livestock3 Cereals Nisdafe, Common machinery4 Stables, Cabildo (Island Government)5 Warehouse of produce from the foothills (cold cuts)6 Modernising the Cheese centre7 Improving the slaughterhouse8 Feed factory9 Island Bee laboratory.

Laboratories monitoring sheep and goat’s milk10 Honey Museum

FISHERIES1 Small boat yard2 Carpentry3 Tuna freezing tunnel4 Fish processing,

tuna canning factory5 Tourism, traditional fishing

LANDSCAPE1 Elimination of overhead cables2 Conservation of farming and livestock walls

OngoingProjects andInitiatives

EL HIERRO ISLAND COUNCIL

www.el-hierro.orgcabildohierro@cistia.es