The Civil Society Forum warns that the transition to a sustainable model in Mallorca is "virtually non-existent"

The Civil Society Forum has warned that the transition to a more balanced, equitable, and sustainable model in Mallorca is "practically nonexistent." This is one of the main conclusions of the report "Key Indicators of Transitions by 2025," which also points to a "stagnation" in the elements that should enable social, environmental, and economic transitions. The study, presented this Thursday at the Estudi General Lul·lià as part of the Climate Academy's activities, identified a progressive increase in human pressure and an increasingly worrying housing crisis on the island, according to Europa Press. If this trend is not corrected, the Forum representatives were warned during the presentation, Mallorca is destined to become "a scenario of growing vulnerability" due to factors such as the climate crisis, political instability, and the monoculture of tourism. The overall conclusion of the study, which addresses each of these transitions separately, is that the transformation is "very slow and uneven." Without a "more robust and coordinated" intervention, an "unsustainable" model will become entrenched, increasing social vulnerability, degrading the land, and maintaining an economy "with little resilience to future crises." In light of this situation, as the Forum pointed out in a statement, the report's authors have proposed to the entire Mallorcan society, businesses, unions, and political parties the creation of a unified observatory to assess how to transition to an economic model capable of mitigating the effects of climate change. Human pressure and housing

One of the main points addressed by the study is the increased human pressure resulting from the combination of tourist arrivals and population growth. This increase, the authors emphasized, is characterized by a rise in social vulnerability, especially due to the financial burden of accessing housing, which has become "one of the main obstacles to advancing social transition." This pressure also translates into a greater strain on natural resources, services, infrastructure, and the sustainability of the territory. If this trend is not curbed, the report predicts that Mallorca could reach 56 million tourists annually and 1.5 million inhabitants by 2050. The study also highlights the use of private vehicles. In this regard, according to the study, Mallorca ranks second in the national classification for time lost in traffic congestion, with an average of 17 minutes per day for journeys of just ten kilometers. The report's authors also highlighted the worsening hydrological drought, linked to increased urban consumption, per capita waste generation well above the national average, and renewable energy, which, despite progress, is doing so "too slowly."

Anchored in tourism

According to the Fòrum, Mallorca's economic model remains heavily reliant on tourism and is therefore poorly diversified. Of all registered businesses on the island, 70% are in the service and hospitality sectors. Meanwhile, the other sectors are maintaining roughly the same level or showing negligible growth, although agriculture, particularly organic farming, has offered some positive news.