Water
Climate impacts often manifest as water issues—sea level rise, ocean acidification, and changes in rainfall—that lead to increased drought and flooding.
Increasing Oʻahu’s water and coastal resiliency requires updating our fresh water and storm water management systems, infrastructure and building design standards, and land use policies.
Key Projects
One Water Strategy
In accordance with City Ordinance 20-47, the Resilience Office has convened a One Water panel to implement a One Water Strategy. The Strategy aims to integrate the management of stormwater, wastewater, and freshwater as one resource, in order to create resource and financial efficiencies.
Climate Adaptation Strategy
How can we continue to live and thrive on Oʻahu well into the future? City Council has adopted the Oʻahu’s first climate adaptation strategy, Climate Ready Oʻahu, as a guiding policy document for the City. This strategy includes vulnerability assessments, mitigation plans, coordination options, and key recommendations to prepare people, ʻāina and infrastructure for climate hazards.
Climate Ready O‘ahu Web Explorer
Which areas or structures are at risk from flooding, extreme heat, or sea level rise? This mapping tool presents multiple climate change stressors using the best available science. It also includes regulatory layers, such as Community Plan Areas and the Flood Insurance Rate Map.
“Adaptation: The process of adjustment to actual or expected climate and its effects. In human systems, adaptation seeks to moderate harm or exploit beneficial opportunities. In natural systems, human intervention may facilitate adjustment to expected climate and its effects.”
—Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change Fifth Assessment Report (AR5)
Related Work
Get Flood Ready
Office of Climate Change, Sustainability and Resiliency
What are flood zones? What can I do about regular flooding in my neighborhood? My home hasn’t flooded before - can it still flood? Visit our flood page for answers and more.
Floods are the number one natural disaster in O‘ahu, Hawai‘i, and the U.S. in terms of frequency and cost. There are things we can do as a community today to prepare for tomorrow.
Storm Water Utility O‘ahu
Department of Facility Maintenance
More than 2,000 storm water utilities exist across 39 states, and more are formed each year. They help decrease the negative impacts of storm water runoff on the community and the environment.
The City and County of Honolulu is studying options for a future storm water utility as a reliable funding mechanism for managing storm water on O‘ahu.