Coastal spaces exploited for tourism tend to be developed rapidly and with a desire to maximise profit, leading to diverse environmental problems, including flooding. As the origin of flood events is usually associated with intense precipitation episodes, this study considers the general rainfall characteristics of tourist resorts in two islands of the Canary Archipelago (Spain). Days of intense rainfall were determined using the 99th percentile (99p) of 8 daily precipitation data series. In addition, the weather types that generated these episodes were identified, the best-fitting distribution functions were determined to allow calculation of probable maximum daily precipitation for different return periods, and the territorial and economic consequences of flood events were analysed. The results show highly irregular rainfall, with 99p values ranging 50–80 mm. The weather types associated with 49 days of flooding events were predominantly cyclonic and hybrid cyclonic. The Log Pearson III distribution function best fitted the data series, with a strong likelihood in a 100-year return period of rainfall exceeding 100 mm in a 24 h period. However, values below 30 mm have already resulted in significant flood damage, while intense rainfall events in the period 1998–2016 saw over 11.5 million euros paid out in damages for insured goods. Such flood-induced damages were found to be caused more by inadequate urban planning than by rainfall intensity.

Flash floods represent one of the more usual natural hazards in mountain basins, and, combined with the lack of reliable flow data and the recreational use of the drainage basin by tourists and hikers, there is a significant risk of catastrophe. Here, we present a dendro-geomorphological reconstruction of a past flash flood event in the Caldera de Taburiente N.P. (Canary Islands, Spain), an ungauged drainage basin in the SW side of the volcanic island of La Palma. We couple two-dimensional hydraulic modelling in a highly-resolved topographic environment (LiDAR data) with (1) peak flow data for various T_year return periods from an uncalibrated hydrological model and (2) a data set of scars on trees, to investigate the magnitude of a 1997 dated flash-flood. From the results, flood hazards and associated risks would be clearly underestimated by using only the unique available hydrological data (a rainfall gauge station downstream of the study area). Hydraulic models using scars data show a higher flood hazard scenario, improving the flood hazard map by using all available flood evidence. Moreover, all this will allow for better implementation of appropriate adaptation policies by National Park managers, and therefore the mitigation of future disasters.

The combination of the current sea level rise (SLR) and an increase in the frequency and severity of sea storm events and surges, will have important environmental impacts on coastal tourist areas located in oceanic islands that are often heavily dependent economically on tourism. Importantly, coastal tourist resorts and their associated beaches are commonly located in the S-SW of these islands where they are protected from the effects of the NE trade winds but exposed to these storms. This study analyses the current and future conditions of SW sea storm events. Then, through mapping using orthophotos, LiDAR data, and bathymetry with high spatial resolution, it studies the environmental effects that these events are having now and will have in the future on tourist zones of oceanic islands. This is of particular importance, as in the case of the Macaronesia islands, SW sea storm events are occurring with ever greater frequency. The case study considers the SW sector of the island of Gran Canaria (Canary Islands, Spain). Regarding the analysis of SW storms, the results obtained show an increase in the frequency of events, especially since the 1990s, with 104 events detected (67.5% between 1958 and 2018). The most affected areas during these storms are usually beaches (severe erosive processes). Breakwaters and seafronts usually resist the impact of waves well, however, as is discussed that in the future scenario, their implementation will mean a high economic cost for local administrations.

Las Angustias River is an ungauged stream in the Caldera de Taburiente National Park (Spain), where frequent intense flash-flood events occur. The aim of this research is to analyze the flood hazard at the Playa de Taburiente. Based on the limited information available (short time-series of daily precipitation), a statistical frequency analysis of 24 h rainfall was completed and the precipitation results were transformed into surface runoff. To determine if the model underestimates the flows that are generated in the basin, the dendro-geomorphological information available was used to calibrate results. The results of the HMS model were significantly lower. At this point, both the rainfall data and the rainfall-runoff model were re-analyzed to maximize the rainfall intensity values and the runoff generated (increasing the CN value for the basin). For the 1997 flood event, a 1250 m³·s⁻¹ flood minimizes the RMSE for the disturbed tree sample; this flow value also clearly exceeds any peak flow derived from the rainfall-runoff analysis. It is only when rainfall intensity and surface runoff are maximized that the peak flows obtained approximate those associated with dendro-geomorphological data. The results highlight the difficulties of flood hazard management in ungauged torrential basins in mountain recreational areas (such as National Parks). Thus, in the absence of flow records, when considering the maximum rainfall intensity scenario may be a useful and effective tool for flood risk management.

The island of Gran Canaria (Spain) has undergone a significant transformation in wildfire dynamics over the past two decades, characterized by a decline in wildfire frequency but a marked increase in the severity and spatial impact of extreme events, particularly within the wildland–urban interface (WUI). This study analyzes wildfire activity between 2000 and 2020 using official datasets and statistical trend analyses, incorporating robust severity indicators and measures of burned area concentration. Results show a statistically significant decreasing trend in the number of wildfires, while burned area is extremely concentrated in a small number of high-intensity events, with four large wildfires accounting for more than 97% of the total affected area. Climatic influences on wildfire activity were assessed through the analysis of long-term meteorological indicators, focusing on trends in extreme heat days and precipitation as proxies for thermal stress and fuel moisture availability. The results indicate a substantial modification of the background climatic framework under which wildfires develop, although no direct causal relationships are inferred. In parallel, territorial processes—such as rural abandonment, increased fuel continuity, and the expansion of dispersed housing beyond consolidated settlements—act as key amplifiers of wildfire risk. Overall, the findings highlight a transition from emergency-oriented fire suppression toward resilience-based wildfire management, emphasizing the need to integrate climate adaptation, territorial planning, and stricter land-use regulation in WUI areas.

The “Caldera de Taburiente” National Park is placed on the island of La Palma, the north-westernmost island of the Canary Islands archipelago. Declared National Park in 1954, its 47 km2 are located in the northern part of the island. The altitude ranges from 430 m a.s.l. in the bottom of the ‘Barranco de Las Angustias’ creek to 2426 m a.s.l. in the ‘Roque de Los Muchachos’ peak. The main part of the National Park is formed by the headwaters of the Barranco de Las Angustias, a semi-circular (8 km in diameter) basin which is a large erosive "caldera", since its morphology is actually the result of the superposition of erosive phases and giant landslides.The National Park and its surroundings (as Natural Park and reserve areas) contain a variated geoheritage including 13 geosites of national relevance comprising Pliocene pillow lavas, pyroxenites, a dyke complex, metamorphic processes, springs, waterfalls and intense erosive landforms. Geosites also stand out paleontological sites of Cenozoic paleobotanical remains (leaves, stems, pine cones from Macaronesian tree species). Some of this paleontological remains are close to the creek bottom and exposed to river dynamics during flash floods, producing serious problems for geoconservation. As flash flood frequency and magnitude are been modified by present and future climate change and other historical human activities (tunnels for water collection, forestry and livestock management), it is necessary to improve hydromorphological flood assessments for geoheritage management and adopt sustainable risk mitigation measures.The scarcely availability of meteorological data (rainfall data) and the absence of flow gauging data, together with a highly heterogeneous distribution of river bed sediment sizes, do not draw the best scenario for a fully hydraulic-based solution for geoheritage management. Despite this, probable peak flows related to extreme events in the basin have been hydraulic modelled with the aim to characterize flood variables (flow depth and velocity) in the surroundings of geosites. Based on these results, and depending on the location and characteristics of each geosite, hydro-geomorphological solutions were designed to reduce the erosive and sediment transport capacity of the flow. These solutions also had to take into account the geomorphologic characteristics of the river section (slope, width, entrenchment), which limit the applicability of some of the most widely used Nature Base Solutions (NBSs). Hydrological correction check dams for channel slope reduction and regulation, channel bank reinforcement for bank-erosion reduction, or rip-rap and vegetated dikes to derive flows were used to reduce flood risk over geoheritage.Individual or combined NBSs are been implemented into the hydrodynamic model to get the better hydro-geomorphological based solution for each geoheritage site. Finally, in base to all these results, a geoheritage management proposal for “Caldera de Taburiente” National Park has been developed for National Park managers and La Palma Island and Canary Islands Governments.Funded by Organismo Autónomo de Parques Nacionales, research project 2779/2021 “Impactos, vulnerabilidad y resiliencia de la Geodiversidad y el Patrimonio Geológico ante el Cambio Global en los Parques Nacionales Canarios (IVRIPARC)”.