#sea level rise

A proposal to establish new hotel zoning districts — a move that would allow roughly 4,500 short-term vacation rentals to survive a looming phase-out — faces an uncertain future after the measure was resoundingly rejected last month by the Maui Planning Commission.

Most Hawaiʻi residents believe sea level rise is already affecting the state, expect major impacts within their lifetimes, and support significant changes to how and where development occurs. At the same time, many remain uncertain about how large-scale adaptation should be financed.

A project to restore the dunes is moving forward for a 1.5-mile stretch of coastline where decades of sand mining, sea level rise and the relentless wind and waves of the north shore have taken their toll.

Maui County hopes to launch a program to buy properties makai of Front Street and create a connected waterfront to protect against flooding and create more open space and shoreline access.

While the planned two-story youth center will still be in a flood zone, it will be built to withstand the erosion and sea level rise that continues to take its toll along the North Shore of Maui.

Maui County Council members voted 8-1 Wednesday to move forward with a proposal to create new hotel zoning districts for thousands of vacation rentals, a measure designed to soften the economic blow of the county’s controversial short-term rental phase-out. The approval of Resolution 25-230 refers a proposed bill to the Maui, Molokaʻi and Lānaʻi planning […]

The Pā‘ia Youth & Cultural Center will host a public open house and presentation at their facilities on Jan. 8 at 5 p.m., providing the community an opportunity to learn about plans for a new facility designed to protect youth services from increasing coastal impacts.

Maui residents are invited to review and provide feedback on landscape design proposals for the Ukumehame and Olowalu coastal corridor, as three upcoming meetings look to conclude nearly a year of community input on the project.

A new study reveals a wide variety of approaches across the US for establishing building elevation guidelines that account for future sea level rise, highlighting a need for more standardized methods. The University of Hawaiʻi at Mānoa research, published in Water, provides a critical resource for policymakers and designers in coastal communities such as Hawaiʻi who are planning for the impacts of climate change.

By 2080 rising sea levels could cause seasonal waves to reach Ahu Tongariki, the iconic ceremonial platform that is part of the Rapa Nui National Park, a UNESCO world heritage site, according to a study published in the Journal of Cultural Heritage by a team of researchers from the University of Hawaiʻi at Mānoa. This coastal flooding also threatens 51 cultural assets in the area, including Rapa Nui’s world-renowned moai statues. 

A researcher-keiki collaboration aims to foster a deep connection to the land and community through storytelling. The Coastal Research Collaborative (CRC) at the University of Hawaiʻi at Mānoa developed The Sand Dance, a storybook that was inspired by a play researchers co-created with students at Ka‘a‘awa Elementary. 

The County of Maui Department of Parks and Recreation invites residents to review and provide feedback on a proposed adaptation plan for Hoaloha Park in Kahului.

Three sites have been selected for up-close plans: Olowalu town, Mile Marker 14 and Ukumehame Beach Park.

The $160 million project is part of a yearslong effort to move Honoapi’ilani Highway away from the shoreline and improve access to and from West Maui.

Sea level in Waikīkī is projected to rise up to about one foot by 2050 and nearly six feet by 2100 due to climate change, prompting University of Hawaiʻi at Mānoa researchers to create architectural renderings that illustrate possible adaptation strategies.

During his visit, US Secretary of Transportation Pete Buttigieg provided updates on key infrastructure projects, including critical investments in the Honoapiʻilani Highway. He visited West Maui as part of the administrationʻs efforts to reaffirm its commitment to wildfire recovery in Lahaina.

Governor Josh Green, M.D., signed several bills into law on Wednesday to help combat climate change and work towards the state’s zero-emission goal of 100% clean energy by 2045.

Shoreline advocates blocked heavy machinery at Kā’anapali Beach Tuesday, amid ongoing concerns over how sea level rise and continued beach erosion is handled.

“The updated SMA and Shoreline Rules are more balanced and flexible for homeowners, and incorporate the best available science on sea level rise to bolster coastal resilience,” said Planning Director Kathleen Ross Aoki.

The UH studies, conducted by the university’s Climate Resilience Collaborative, will enable coastal managers and policymakers to better manage the coastlines of Hawaiʻi.