New Observatory to Monitor Lanzarote’s Social Fabric
The Island Council of Lanzarote has announced the creation of an Observatory of Canarian Identity, a strategic response to the challenges posed by the island’s ongoing demographic and tourism growth. The new body has been established to permanently analyse the social, cultural, and territorial evolution of Lanzarote and La Graciosa, with the aim of anticipating risks that could affect social cohesion, the rootedness of the resident population, and the preservation of the archipelago’s cultural identity.
Functions and Independence of the New Body
The Observatory’s remit will include monitoring the evolution of the island’s cultural identity, assessing the impact of population and tourism growth on social cohesion, detecting processes of cultural trivialisation, and proposing measures in educational, territorial, and cultural spheres. It will be composed of technical and apolitical experts, generating knowledge to guide public decision-making.
“It is an independent space for analysis that will create political awareness about issues that can be improved by any administration,” explained the Council. The goal is to prevent processes like demographic pressure or accelerated growth from leading to a progressive loss of identity.
A Strategic Response to Unprecedented Change
The Councillor for Open Government, Armando Santana, stated that the creation of this instrument is a strategic response to the transformation the islands are undergoing. “The creation of the Observatory of Canarian Identity responds to an objective reality: Lanzarote and La Graciosa are experiencing the most intense process of demographic, economic, and social transformation in their contemporary history,” he indicated.
Santana emphasised that population growth, tourism pressure, rising housing costs, and urban transformations are phenomena that can generate opportunities but require analysis and planning in limited territories like islands. “The question is not whether we want to grow or not. The question is whether we are adequately measuring the impact of that growth on our social cohesion and our collective identity,” he affirmed.
Learning from the Past, Protecting the Future
“We do not want to see a repeat here of identity loss processes that have occurred in other territories. Demographic pressure can enrich a society, but it also demands that we protect what defines us,” Santana noted. He recalled that the artist César Manrique long argued that the territory is an essential part of Lanzarote’s identity, understanding the landscape not just as an economic resource but as a cultural value.
“The globalised world exports standard urban, aesthetic, and cultural models. Islands that do not generate their own analysis tools end up applying standard solutions to problems that are profoundly insular,” he pointed out. For the councillor, the Observatory will allow for action based on data and knowledge to design public policies that foster a sense of belonging, social integration, and respect for local culture.
Cross-Party Support for a Vital Initiative
The President of the Island Council, Oswaldo Betancort, welcomed the full corporation’s backing for this initiative, which he believes is strategic for the island’s future. “This Observatory will allow us to anticipate the challenges posed by Lanzarote’s growth. We want to continue being an open, prosperous, and diverse territory, but also an island that protects its identity, its land, and the cohesion of its society,” he assured.
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