Flooding renews interest in climate-change planning

It’s no secret that climate change experts think Hawaii beaches, coastal roads and properties near shorelines will face flooding and erosion over the next 30 to 70 years that could put the state’s residents and its tourist-driven economy at risk.

Statewide discussions have considered how to adapt to a possible 3.2-foot sea level rise by the mid- to latter part of the century. The discussions have focused on how to mitigate potential impacts like sea-level rise, extreme weather, drought, flooding, climate-­related extinction, coral bleaching, nutritional threats and a global refugee crisis.

Climate change has long been on Hawaii’s radar but until now has lacked the political urgency seen in states like New York, Louisiana and New Jersey where Hurricanes Sandy and Katrina were rallying calls. Recent flooding in East Oahu and North Kauai, which sustained an estimated $20 million in damage, not including homes and businesses, has provided a glimpse of what climate change could look like and could add to the sense of urgency across the state.

The devastation brings renewed importance to efforts from the city and county of Honolulu’s Climate Change Commission, which meets today to consider adopting a brief outlining the potential seriousness of future climate change impacts in Hawaii and to review a proposed plan to provide city decision makers with sea-level rise guidance.

The recent flooding has provided real-word examples of projected harms and a reminder that things could get worse from here. The Environmental Protection Agency reports that “sea-level rise can make Hawaii’s existing coastal hazards — such as waves, hurricanes, tsunamis, and extreme tides — even worse.”

Today’s discussion is a major step for the commission, which was formed after voters in a 2016 election approved the creation of an Office of Climate Change, Sustainability and Resiliency. The commission is expected to consider controversial recommendations about where future construction of infrastructure and buildings should take place and how risks, including real estate, should be disclosed.

When a disaster happens, early recovery tends to focus on normalcy like getting people back to schools, work and daily routines, said commission member Chip Fletcher, an associate dean for academic affairs at the University of Hawaii and a professor at its School of Ocean and Earth Science and Technology (SOEST). But climate adaptation needs to be part of the recovery process and any future planning efforts, he said.

“The drainage infrastructure was designed for a climate that doesn’t exist anymore,” said Fletcher, who spoke Thursday at a Hawaii Society of Business Professionals luncheon. “The discussion on Kauai happened after the event. It needs to happen before.”

Fletcher said the commission is working with Josh Stanbro, chief resilience officer and executive director of the city Office of Climate Change, to establish a post-disaster recovery plan for Oahu like what Maui County already has developed, he said.

“We’ve already had shocks, but climate change puts everything on steroids. It’s an important moment in time, but it’s not an insurmountable moment,” said Stanbro, who also spoke at the Thursday luncheon. “We as humans are good at adapting if we apply ourselves.”

For example, Stanbro pointed to Hilo’s decision to move its city following a devastating 1960 tsunami, which wiped out some of the recovery efforts that had followed a 1946 tsunami.

“That’s what we need to start thinking about when (Chip Fletcher) shows scary projections,” he said.

Sue Kanoho, executive director of the Kauai Visitors Bureau, said Kauai’s Office of Economic Development is working on a resiliency plan that will integrate lessons learned from the recent floods and from earlier king tides.

“Climate change is likely to play a part in the discussions of how we rebuild, how we manage resources and how we address future tourism planning and land use, especially in areas that are at higher risk and have limited resources,” Kanoho said.