Blogs
Mountain to sea resource management to protect groundwater dependent ecosystems
By Christopher Wada, Kimberly Burnett, and Sittidaj Ponkijvorasin In Hawai‘i and other parts of the world, native forest and valuable linked natural resources are being threatened by forces including land use change, invasive species, and climate change. Management strategies for protecting these resources are commonly divided into two categories: (1) active restoration where interventions such as […]
Read MorePositive net benefits for an agricultural import rule designed to protect native Hawaiian forests
Photo by Forest & Kim Starr By Kimberly Burnett and Christopher Wada Since its first documented introduction to Hawai‘i in 2005, the rust fungus Puccinia psidii has already severely damaged Syzygium jambos (Indian rose apple) trees and the federally endangered Eugenia koolauensis (nioi). Fortunately, the particular strain has yet to cause serious damage to Metrosideros polymorpha (‘ōhi‘a), which comprises roughly 80% of the […]
Read MoreSaving the Class of 2020 From the COVID-19 Economic Crisis
By Sumner La Croix and James Mak At Hawai‘i’s high schools, 11,000+ students at public schools and 3,000+ students at private schools are about to graduate. Sadly, because of COVID-19, graduating seniors from the Class of 2020 are forced to forego festive ceremonies and celebrations that mark their transition to adulthood. Until COVID-19, graduation meant […]
Read MoreCounty Results from Small Business Survey
An update to original state-level survey results: https://uhero.hawaii.edu/covid-19s-uneven-impact-on-businesses-and-workers-results-from-a-uhero-chamber-of-commerce-hawaii-survey/ The attached tables represent a county-by-county breakdown of the key statistics summarized in last week’s statewide analysis of the UHERO / Chamber of Commerce small business survey. Each table is weighted relative to the number of businesses in each sector in each county. The take home is […]
Read MoreCOVID-19: Developing Economic Recovery Scenarios for Hawaii
By Carl Bonham, Peter Fuleky, and Byron Gangnes A significant part of Hawaii’s economy has effectively been shut down to slow the spread of the coronavirus in the Islands. The mandatory fourteen-day self-quarantine requirement for arriving visitors and residents has largely put a stop to tourism. And the stay-at-home order for all non-essential workers that […]
Read MorePreserving Housing Stability During Hawaii’s COVID Crisis
By Philip Garboden Last week, the Eviction Lab released a scorecard for COVID-19 Housing Policy. Hawaii scored fairly well comparatively: 15th out of the 50 states. Unfortunately, this only put us near the top of a fairly rotten pile. With the exception of two or three states, the vast majority of the country currently has […]
Read MoreCan Hawai‘i Rise from the Ashes of COVID-19 as a Smart Destination?
By Frank Haas and James Mak A recent headline in the Honolulu Star-Advertiser said it all: TOURISM MELTDOWN. As a result of the COVID-19 pandemic Hawai‘i hotels and attractions have closed, incoming passengers are quarantined, unemployment claims have skyrocketed, and daily passenger counts went from 30,000 plus to a few hundred. In a matter of […]
Read MoreCOVID-19’s Uneven Impact on Businesses and Workers: Results from a UHERO-Chamber of Commerce Hawaii Survey
By Philip Garboden County breakdown update: https://uhero.hawaii.edu/county-results-from-small-business-survey/ Right now, everyone is making sacrifices. But as with any natural disaster, some people and places are being hit harder than others. To better understand these dynamics, UHERO partnered with the Chamber of Commerce Hawaii and a dozen other industry associations across the state to field a survey […]
Read MoreTap Fed Lending Facilities to Support Local Economy
By Carl Bonham, Byron Gangnes, Sumner LaCroix, and James Mak The State and counties are facing unprecedented budget shortfalls in this fiscal year and the next. While a combination of carry-over funds and monies from various special funds could tide the State over in the very short run, tax revenue declines that could easily top […]
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