University of Hawaiʻi at Mānoa researchers participated in the kick-off meeting for the Koʻolau Poko Resilience Review project, a community-focused analysis of the potential impacts of climate change on the physical, natural and man-made infrastructure in Koʻolau Poko, a section of Windward Oʻahu stretching between Kualoa and Waimānalo. The event was hosted by the Marine Corps Base Hawaiʻi.
As part of the project, participants from the Koʻolau Poko area—including community-based organizations, neighborhood boards members, and representatives from the Honolulu City Council, State Legislature and other city, state and federal agencies—will work to identify actions that can be taken to address current and future climate-related risks.
“As global temperature continues to rise from our fossil fuel use and greenhouse gas emissions, it supercharges extreme weather events and drives unrelenting stresses from sea level rise and hotter ambient air temperature,” said Chip Fletcher, interim dean of the School of Ocean and Earth Science and Technology (SOEST) at UH Mānoa and director of the Climate Resilience Collaborative (CRC). “All of these effects will require new and unique responses from our communities. The purpose of this meeting was to hear Koʻolau Poko community concerns and fold them into developing resilience responses to build a safer tomorrow.”
New data for adaptation solutions
Over the next year, new climate hazard and impact data will be used to help identify potential climate adaptation solutions for the Koʻolau Poko region. Climate adaptation means proactively preparing for and adapting to the impacts of our changing climate. The program provides the opportunity for local governments and the community to partner with local military installations in addressing resilience challenges and opportunities.
The effort is bolstered by two advisory groups guiding the progress of the project: a technical advisory group, composed of professional, cultural, and subject area experts, and a steering committee of community members and government officials and staff. The kickoff meeting in March brought the groups together to learn from each other and about community concerns regarding climate change impacts in Koʻolau Poko.
The project is supported by a Department of Defense Office of Local Defense Community Cooperation grant to the Mayor’s Office of Climate Change, Sustainability and Resiliency (Resilience Office) and is being executed in partnership with the UH Mānoa’s CRC.
