Canary Islands and FECAM activate the climate shelter network with municipal adherence

The Government of the Canary Islands and the Canarian Federation of Municipalities (FECAM) have formalized the protocol that opens the Canarian Network of Climate Shelters to municipally-owned spaces through a voluntary letter of adhesion. The agreement is published in the Official Gazette of the Canary Islands no. 210, of October 21, 2026, section III, by resolution of the Vice-Ministry of Ecological Transition, Fight against Climate Change and Energy of October 5, 2026 (document number 3627). The signing of the text took place on September 30, 2026, in Santa Cruz de Tenerife.

The protocol is signed by counselor Mariano Hernández Zapata, representing the Ministry of Ecological Transition and Energy, and the president of FECAM, María Concepción Brito Núñez, by virtue of the agreement of the federation’s General Assembly of October 2, 2023. The resolution ordering its publication bears the electronic signature of vice-counselor Julieta Cristina Schallenberg Rodríguez and was registered under number 194/2026.

The invoked regulatory framework is Law 6/2022, of December 27, on climate change and energy transition of the Canary Islands, modified by Decree-law 5/2024, of June 24, and the duty of publicity for agreements under Decree 11/2019, of February 11. The text justifies the measure based on the urban heat island phenomenon, which can generate differences of more than 10 °C between urban zones and surrounding rural areas, and the IPCC projections, which anticipate a global temperature increase exceeding 1.5 °C by the end of the 21st century with more frequent and intense heatwaves. The Canary Islands start from averages of 22 °C in winter and 26 °C in summer, with high solar radiation that limits the use of open public spaces.

Two types of shelter with common technical requirements

The protocol distinguishes between indoor and outdoor climate shelters and sets a minimum of technical characteristics for both: free of charge and universal accessibility, thermal comfort, free hydration points, stay and rest areas, and adapted or nearby toilets.

• Indoor: thermal comfort and air quality, adapted toilets, and availability and scheduling flexibility. The text cites as examples libraries, cultural and civic centers, museums, municipal offices, sports centers, senior centers, indoor sports facilities, bus terminals, and municipal markets.
• Outdoor: thermal comfort and heat buffering, nearby public toilets, and a suitable environment in a good state of conservation. Urban parks, plazas with trees, gardens, ramblas and shaded promenades, green areas next to educational or health centers, and sports facilities with shade are mentioned.

Voluntary adhesion and regional control

The incorporation of each city council is free and voluntary. The application is submitted electronically to the Ministry of Ecological Transition and Energy and must be accompanied by Annex I (letter of adhesion, including the list of shelters, location, contact details, and municipality) and Annex II (responsible declaration of ownership and maintenance of the sites).

• Withdrawal is also voluntary: it is processed using Annex III, signed by the Mayor/President, and it is advised to communicate this six months in advance.
• The Ministry reserves the right to carry out technical inspections to verify that requirements are maintained.
• FECAM commits to forwarding the protocol and encouraging all Canarian city councils to sign it.
• A space for coordination and dialogue is foreseen, co-chaired by a representative from each party, with four members on a parity basis.

Public viewer, validity, and absence of cost

The published shelters will be located in the viewer of Cartográfica de Canarias, S.A. (GRAFCAN), a platform that gathers infrastructure and climate data and is offered to citizens in real time. The list will be open and dynamic, permanently updated as new sites are identified.

The protocol entails no obligations or financial compensation for the parties and does not generate legally binding commitments; the financing of actions that require it will be specified in a subsequent agreement. It enters into force on the day of its signing and its validity is indefinite as long as the common interest persists, with termination by mutual agreement or written waiver. It was to be published in the Official Gazette of the Canary Islands within twenty days following the signature and registered in the General Registry of Public Sector Agreements of the Autonomous Community of the Canary Islands within fifteen business days from publication.

The protocol turns city councils into the operational component of the response to heatwaves and intense haze episodes: without their adhesion, there is no network to publish, and with it, any resident will be able to consult which building or green space in their municipality offers shelter, hydration, and rest during an extreme episode.

Source: Official Gazette of the Canary Islands, no. 210, of October 21, 2026, section III. Other Resolutions, pages 37989 et seq. (official reference: boc-a-2026-210-3627).