Economic Impact of the City and County of Honolulu’s Department of Environmental Services on the State of Hawai‘i in Fiscal Year 2024
The Department of Environmental Services (ENV) provides essential wastewater and solid waste services for the City and County of Honolulu, and its operations and capital…
Enduring Impacts of the November 2021 Red Hill Fuel Spill: Health, Social, Economic, and Trust Implications
This report presents findings from a follow-up survey conducted in July 2023—about 20 months after the Red Hill water contamination—with 174 people who had participated…
Supporting thriving water futures through education and career pathways: perspectives from the Hawai‘i water sector
In this report, we share insights from representatives from the freshwater sector on how the University of Hawai‘i can best support a thriving water future…
Economic Benefits and Costs of Biological Control: Coffee Berry Borer, Erythrina Gall Wasp, and Fireweed in Hawai‘i
This report evaluates the economic costs and benefits associated with biological control efforts targeting three invasive species in Hawai‘i: coffee berry borer (CBB, Hypothenemus hampei),…
Return on investment for watershed protection on Kaua‘i
Native forests provide many societal benefits, including protecting freshwater resources that provide drinking water and sustain culturally, economically, and ecologically valuable springs, streams, and groundwater…
Scaling biocultural initiatives can support nature, food, and culture from summit to sea
Biocultural nature-based solutions provide many social, cultural, and ecological benefits. Yet, there has been little research on related land-sea societal benefits, hindering our ability to…
Carbon benefits through agroforestry transitions on unmanaged fallow agricultural land in Hawaiʻi
There are growing efforts to incorporate agroforestry into ecosystem service incentive programs. Indigenous and other place-based multi-strata agroforestry systems are important conservation and agricultural strategies,…
Co-Production of Knowledge at Sumida Farm Trains a New Generation of Community-Engaged Scientists
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…
Embedding local values in Payments for Ecosystem Services for transformative change
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…
Sea level rise risk interactions with coastal property values: a case study of O‘ahu, Hawai‘i
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.…
After the Maui wildfires: The road ahead.
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…
Toward more equitable ecosystem investment programs—Adaptation and equity are central to the design and functioning of successful water funds
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…
Solving Optimal Groundwater Problems with Excel
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…
Effects of Multiple Drivers of Environmental Change on Native and Invasive Macroalgae in Nearshore Groundwater Dependent Ecosystems
New UHERO Environment and collaborator publication in Water Resources Research demonstrates the connections between forest management, groundwater pumping, natural hazard resilience and nearshore groundwater dependent…
Managing retreat for sandy beach areas under sea level rise
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…