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https://www.usatoday.com/story/travel/2024/08/01/hawaii-beaches-climate-change/74624517007/>
"OAHU, Hawaii — Hawaii’s most famous coastline, Waikiki Beach, is not going to
be the same in the next 50 years.
Oahu is the most visited Hawaiian island, with its iconic Waikiki neighborhood
serving as a central base for many travelers, but it has already been changing.
The beaches flanking Waikiki have narrowed, and in some areas, are nonexistent.
During high tide or if there’s a swell, waves crash onto walkways, soaking
passersby.
These issues didn’t exist decades ago, at least not as noticeably as they’ve
become today. And it’s only expected to get worse.
In as little as 20 years, roads, condos and resorts located just a few blocks
from the water could be flooded as groundwater continues to rise. In the
future, storm drains could fill up – imagine a bathtub running over – and the
beaches could continue to disappear. Waikiki was actually built on top of
water, a wetland that was drained then filled for development, although you’d
never think so looking at the high-rises and concrete today.
“That’s a huge problem in Waikiki and it’s probably ground zero for this
problem,” said Charles Fletcher, the Interim Dean of the School of Ocean and
Earth Science and Technology at the University of Hawaii at Manoa and one of
the leading climate scientists in the state.
It’s not just rising waters and stronger swells from the makai (ocean) side,
but heavy rainfall and flooding from the mauka, or mountain side that threaten
Waikiki, which has the highest density of hotels in the state and accounts for
$7.8 billion in visitor dollars.
Confronted by climate change, Waikiki and the broader Hawaiian islands are
rethinking their future to ensure survival, including an adaptation plan for
the tourist hub. Recognizing the high stakes – such as the fact that tourism
accounts for a quarter of the economy – both private and public sectors are
collaborating to build Hawaii's resilience for future generations."
Cheers,
*** Xanni ***
--
mailto:xanni@xanadu.net Andrew Pam
http://xanadu.com.au/ Chief Scientist, Xanadu
https://glasswings.com.au/ Partner, Glass Wings
https://sericyb.com.au/ Manager, Serious Cybernetics
