| This 1,055-foot (322-m) volcanic dome appears to stand guard over the farming region of Buenavista. Its ancient crater has been converted into a reservoir to supply the banana plantations that cover the coastal plain of northwestern Tenerife. Banana plantations, which thrive on the fertile volcanic soil and subtropical climate, account for a third of the Canaries’ agricultural produce. However, the islands suffer a serious shortage of fresh water, chiefly because rainfall is low and there are no rivers. Two of the seven islands depend almost entirely on desalinated seawater. The shortage affects more than 20 percent of the islands’ population, and the influx of tourists, which is already considerable, is relentlessly increasing demand.
Visit the YAB Gallery for books and signed prints |