Hawai‘i Climate Commission Adopts Recommendations To Counteract Sea Level Rise Impacts

A map of Kapa‘a shows flooding with 6 feet of sea level rise. Blue areas indicate water depth, with dark blue being the deepest. Green areas indicate low-lying areas not hydrologically connected to the ocean. NOAA/UH SeaGrant

The Hawai‘i Climate Change Mitigation and Adaptation Commission at its regular quarterly meeting Sept. 4 adopted a series of recommendations and finalized a mission statement to help guide Hawai‘i’s response to the impacts of climate change, according to a state Department of Land and Natural Resources news release.

The Climate Commission is led by the DLNR Chair and the Director of the State Office of Planning and includes members from key state and county agencies. The group’s mission statement formalized and approved at the meeting is as follows:

“Hawaii’s Climate Commission recognizes the urgency of climate threats and the need to act quickly. It promotes ambitious, climate-neutral, culturally responsive strategies for climate change adaptation and mitigation in a manner that is Clean, Equitable & Resilient.”

The recommended strategies or steps agreed upon by the Climate Commission include:

• Support legislation for disclosure for private property and public offerings located in areas with potential exposure to sea level rise.
• Request all new development, redevelopment and modifications be directed away from beach areas.
• Urge counties to incorporate the 3.2 ft. sea level rise exposure area (SLR-XA) into their general and development plans.
• Encourage agencies and non-governmental utility providers to identify and prioritize assets within the 3.2 ft SLR-XA or more as described in the State’s Sea Level Rise report, identify adaptation measures, and to provide a status update on this activity annually to the Climate Commission.
• Support legislation that funds State programs to meet mitigation goals, and to bring resources to assist in planning and implementation for sea level rise and other climate related impacts.

The next quarterly meeting of the Climate Commission is scheduled for Tuesday, Nov. 27, from 1-4 p.m. at the Board of Land and Natural Resources meeting room, Kalanimoku Building, 1151 Punchbowl Street in Honolulu.  All meetings are open to the public.