(1hr) Thurs 15 Feb - Lanzarote water conservation

The island of Lanzarote gets only ~150ml of rainfall each year, and most of the island relies on water desalination plants for drinking water. However, most houses are built to a traditional design, and sit atop a water tank, which is shielded from the sun by the building and therefore conserves the water stored there. You can also see larger underground reservoirs in the middle of villages. The lack of water has led to a unique method of 'dry' vine cultivation for wine - in the centre of the island, you can see fields of black volcanic ash, which overlies hollows in which vines are planted singly behind semi-circular walls which protect from the wind. Their roots reach down into a layer of manure and the thin soil beneath the ash, and the 10-12cm ash layer conserves the moisture that allows the grapes to grow (no other irrigation is given once the vines are planted). All harvesting and wine production is done by hand, with over 2000 viticulturalists on an island of only 150,000 people, providing valuable, sustainable local employment.