Co-Production of Knowledge at Sumida Farm Trains a New Generation of Community-Engaged Scientists May 13, 2024 A collaboration between the University of Hawai‘i (UH), Hawai‘i Sea Grant, and the fourth generation of Sumida farmers focuses on training a new generation of community-engaged scientists. A key partner is UHERO, an interdisciplinary research group that informs public policy across Hawai‘i. The overarching goal is to build a healthy, resilient, and sustainable agricultural community… Read More
Embedding local values in Payments for Ecosystem Services for transformative change October 3, 2023 Abstract: The potential for Payments for Ecosystem Services (PES) programs to integrate nature’s diverse values into decision-making, and thereby support broader transformative change, is of increasing research interest. We analyze published reviews and case studies of PES from the IPBES Values Assessment to evaluate 1) how diverse values were (or were not) articulated through PES… Read More
Sea level rise risk interactions with coastal property values: a case study of O‘ahu, Hawai‘i September 14, 2023 Abstract: Climate change-induced sea level rise (SLR) will affect a range of coastal assets and prompt difficult decisions about coastal land use across the world. Several recent studies find that current and projected SLR is associated with relatively lower property values. We contribute to this growing body of research with a case study of O‘ahu,… Read More
After the Maui wildfires: The road ahead. August 31, 2023 By Steven Bond-Smith, Daniela Bond-Smith, Carl Bonham, Leah Bremer, Kim Burnett, Makena Coffman, Peter Fuleky, Byron Gangnes, Rachel Inafuku, Ruben Juarez, Sumner La Croix, Colin Moore, Dylan Moore, Nori Tarui, Justin Tyndall, and Chris Wada The immediate recovery efforts from the devastating Maui wildfires continue, and at UHERO we share our community’s anguish over the… Read More
Toward more equitable ecosystem investment programs—Adaptation and equity are central to the design and functioning of successful water funds August 22, 2023 Abstract: Projects designed to incentivize ecosystem management for societal benefits are becoming increasingly popular and are often touted as win–win solutions for social and environmental challenges. Yet, there are important concerns about the equity and justice implications of these programs, and there is strong evidence that a lack of attention to justice can exacerbate or… Read More
Solving Optimal Groundwater Problems with Excel August 16, 2023 Abstract: Welfare maximizing management of coastal groundwater requires a sequence of pumping targets, typically terminating with a constant withdrawal rate in the long run. In contrast, managing according to sustainable yield at best identifies the constant rate of pumping in the long run. We illustrate an accessible solution method, using Excel Solver to find the… Read More
Effects of Multiple Drivers of Environmental Change on Native and Invasive Macroalgae in Nearshore Groundwater Dependent Ecosystems July 26, 2023 New UHERO Environment and collaborator publication in Water Resources Research demonstrates the connections between forest management, groundwater pumping, climate change and nearshore groundwater dependent ecosystems in Kona, Hawaiʻi. Abstract: Groundwater dependent ecosystems (GDE) are increasingly recognized as critical components of sustainable groundwater management, but are threatened by multiple drivers of environmental change. Despite this importance,… Read More
Managing retreat for sandy beach areas under sea level rise July 24, 2023 Abstract: Sea level rise (SLR) is projected to impact approximately one billion people by 2100. For many coastal communities, retreat is the most viable long-term option due to exposure risk under SLR and increased coastal hazards. Our research analyzes the costs of retreating coastal development at an iconic beach in Hawaiʻi that is experiencing severe… Read More
Frontiers in páramo water resources research: A multidisciplinary assessment June 11, 2023 Abstract: Interdisciplinary knowledge is necessary to achieve sustainable management of natural resources. However, research is still often developed in an exclusively disciplinary manner, hampering the capacity to holistically address environmental issues. This study focuses on páramo, a group of high-elevation ecosystems situated around ∼3000 to ∼5000 m a.s.l. in the Andes from western Venezuela and… Read More
What’s a (Better) Beach Day Worth? Economic Valuation of Changes in Waikīkī Beach Characteristics May 24, 2023 Abstract: Whether beach nourishment, an established beach management measure, is justified depends on its benefits and costs. We apply a discrete choice experiment at Waikīkī Beach on Oʻahu with mixed logit and latent class models to evaluate recreationists’ willingness to pay for changes in beach width and water clarity as well as the preferences for… Read More
Investing in nature-based solutions: Cost profiles of collective-action watershed investment programs January 5, 2023 Abstract: Worldwide, an increasing number of watershed management programs invest in nature-based solutions (NbS) to water security challenges. Yet, NbS for water security currently are deployed at well below their hypothesized cost-effective global potential, with uncertainty about costs identified as one key constraint on increased investment. Data on administrative and transaction costs of watershed investment… Read More
An environmental justice perspective on ecosystem services December 19, 2022 UHERO Environment is part of an international collaboration focused on addressing environmental justice in ecosystem services research and practice. Their new publication in Ambio, "An environmental justice perspective on ecosystem services," explores challenges and opportunities in incorporating multiple dimensions of justice into ecosystem services. Abstract: Mainstreaming of ecosystem service approaches has been proposed as one… Read More
Non-native fallows hold high potential for restoration through agroforestry in a Pacific Island ecosystem November 3, 2022 Abstract: Agricultural land abandonment affects millions of hectares of cultivated lands globally. While ending cultivation can lead to spontaneous reforestation and ecological benefits, the resulting landscapes often have lower social and agricultural benefits than the native forests and agricultural systems they replace, especially when non-native species dominate successional pathways. This is the case in many… Read More
Tourism water use during the COVID-19 shutdown: A natural experiment in Hawai‘i September 28, 2022 Abstract: Many popular tourist destinations are on small islands whose resources are in limited supply, and the effects of climate change and burgeoning tourism tend to worsen the outlook. In this study, we identify the relationship between tourism and water use on the Hawaiian island of O‘ahu. Hawai‘i closed almost entirely to tourism during the… Read More
Biocultural values of groundwater dependent ecosystems in Kona, Hawaiʻi August 24, 2022 New UHERO Environmental Policy and Planning Group study, led by UHERO/WRRC/Botany graduate student Veronica Gibson, illuminates social and cultural values of groundwater dependent ecosystems in Kona, Hawaiʻi. Access Publication Read More