Hawaii is planning for effects of climate change

When it comes to recognizing the impact of climate change, Hawaii has picked its preferred future. It includes taking measures to ensure our communities are safe and resilient from extreme weather events, and that our public investments are based on the best available information.

Unlike any other state in the nation, Hawaii’s Legislature and Hawaii’s governors have formally recognized that climate change will affect Hawaii’s people. In 2007, Act 234 recognized that climate change poses a serious threat to the people of Hawaii, including a rise in sea levels, impacts to freshwater resources, damage to marine ecosystems and the natural environment, extended drought and loss of soil moisture, and an increase in the severity of storms and extreme weather events.

These impacts were similarly recognized in 2009, Act 20, and again in 2010, Act 73.

More recently, Act 286 enacted in 2012 and now codified as Hawaii Revised Statutes section 226-109, sets up a policy framework to prepare the state for the impacts of climate change. It amends the Hawaii State Planning Act to include 10 climate-change adaptation priority guidelines, which were developed with input from various county, state and federal agencies, academia, the business community and the public. The act is integrated into Hawaii’s statewide planning framework and serves as an umbrella policy for all state and county decision-making.

Incremental steps that are part of a long-range plan over time will help communities become more resilient while reducing the economic and social impacts of making these changes. Action should not be delayed with additional task forces or studies when a majority of decision-makers, elected officials and communities in Hawaii already agree that climate-change impacts need to be considered as part of planning for Hawaii’s future.

The state Office of Planning is currently collaborating with various state, county and federal agencies and non-government entities to implement Act 286, primarily through the statewide Ocean Resources Management Plan. The plan sets forth management priorities, goals, actions and indicator metrics for resilient coastal development and management of coastal hazards. In addition, the office is working with state and county agencies to integrate climate change adaptation into their existing planning frameworks and the way regulations are implemented.

Agencies here are addressing climate change in various ways; examples run the gamut and include projects such as:

» The Rain Follows the Forest (Department of Land and Natural Resources), which addresses climate-change impacts on water resources;

» Kailua Beach Management Plan (DLNR-Office of Conservation and Coastal Lands), which uses natural infrastructure to ensure resilient coastal communities;

» Transportation Asset Climate Change Risk Assessment (Oahu Metropolitan Planning Organization), which assesses the vulnerability of state highways; and

» Various county general and community plans that are taking climate change into consideration in their updates.

These are just a tiny fraction of the work occurring in our state.

What is needed now is investment in implementation of Act 286 and continued support of the projects, programs, and planning already started to address the impacts of climate change by the state and counties.

I agree with columnist Jay Fidell that our legislators and decision-makers are well briefed on the matter ("State can no longer ignore the threat of climate change," Think Tech, Star-Advertiser, Sept. 3); however, the state is not ignoring the call to action.

For more information on the Ocean Resources Management Plan and examples of how government is working to implement the Statewide Climate Change Adaptation Policy, visit www.planning.hawaii.gov or call (808) 587-2846.