Kolloquium

During the sixteenth century, approximately 80% of water supplies on Tenerife were controlled by four men, who were known as water lords (señores de agua). The unequal distribution of water resources combined with the colonial exploitation of water-intensive monoculture crops (sugarcane, wine). This presentation demonstrates the range of solutions attempted by communities, included a water police force, Catholic rogation ceremonies to beseech God for rain, fog harvesting through pine trees, and household solutions, such as cisterns (aljibes) and the destiladera canaria (a water purification tower of African origins). The central arguments are that (1) water scarcity processions were likely used to communicate water needs to the Spanish peninsula and (2) low-cost household solutions were more reliable than town hydraulic infrastructures, which often lacked the required maintenance. This research is contextualized within the field of ‘Island Studies’ and the work of the DFG Network: Island Studies Network: Interdisciplinary Approaches to Island Exchanges, Environments, and Perceptions.