ʻIke Wai

The current Hawaiʻi EPSCoR Track 1 project is named ʻIke Wai, from the Hawaiian words for “knowledge” and “water,” respectively. The project mission is to ensure Hawaiʻi’s future water security through an integrated program of research, education, community engagement, and decision support. Its vision is to promote water resource management in Hawaiʻi that is sustainable, responsible, and data driven. Scientific, cultural, and social dimensions to the problem of water security are integrated in a transparent, stakeholder-driven, and rigorous water research enterprise with the following goals:

Project Goals

  • Collect new hydrological and geophysical data at two study sites, on Oʻahu and Hawaiʻi Island, to address data gaps in understanding of subsurface structure and flow.
  • Develop a new data and modeling platform for Hawaiʻi volcanic hydro-geology, economic modeling, and decision support.
  • Establish an integrated set of pathways to train and develop a diverse cohort of students, post-doctoral, and faculty researchers at the University of Hawaiʻi at Hilo and the University of Hawaiʻi at Mānoa to address Hawaiʻi’s water challenges.

To learn more:

Annual Reports (downloadable):

2017 Annual Report

2018 Annual Report

2019 Annual Report

2020 Annual Report

2021 Annual Report