Considerations for understanding water availability in West Maui
This piece intends to highlight some of the inherent tradeoffs that make managing water in West Maui especially challenging. In particular, subtracting current/authorized use from…
The Agricultural Economic Landscape in Hawai‘i and the Potential for Future Economic Viability
By Sarah Rehkamp, Michael J. Roberts, and James M. MacDonald In a recent UHERO policy brief, Reviving Agriculture to Diversify Hawai‘i’s Economy, authors pointed to…
Linking Land and Water Management to Culturally and Ecologically Important Groundwater Dependent Ecosystems
Groundwater Dependent Ecosystems (GDEs) are ecosystems which rely on groundwater. In Kona, Hawaiʻi coastal GDEs include: fish ponds (loko iʻa), anchialine pools, and nearshore ecosystems.…
Project Description: Spatial Planning to Inform Expansion of Agroforestry for Cultural, Ecological & Economic Benefits
Agroforestry systems, along with loʻi kalo and other systems, were abundant in traditional Hawaiʻi, and there is great interest in their restoration today. This project…
Economic benefits of hydrologic services from watershed protection and restoration
Watershed protection and restoration provide a range of benefits including clean and ample water supplies, cultural connection to place, carbon sequestration, and a suite of…
Statewide Economy and Electricity-Sector Models for Assessment of Hawai‘i Energy Policies
This paper uses both a “top-down” and “bottom-up” economic model to asses the cost and greenhouse implications of various energy and environmental alternatives. The Hawai‘i…
An Assessment Of Greenhouse Gas Emissions-Weighted Clean Energy Standards
Published in the journal Energy Policy, this paper quantifies the relative cost-savings of utilizing a greenhouse gas emissions-weighted Clean Energy Standard (CES) in comparison to…