Chapter 30, Hawai'i and US-Affiliated Pacific Islands

Climate change—especially sea level rise, altered rainfall patterns, and rising ocean and air temperatures—impairs access to clean water and healthy food, undermines human health, threatens cultural resources and the built environment, exacerbates inequities, and disrupts economic activity and diverse ecosystems in Hawaiʻi and the US-Affiliated Pacific Islands. Adaptation efforts that build upon community strengths and center local and Indigenous Knowledge systems improve resilience.

- From Chapter 30

This page is in draft form and is currently being reviewed by project partners. For more information about the creation and review process, please see the landing page for the NCA5 Educator's Guide.

Jump to:

  1. Information on using this guide
  2. Educational resources and guiding questions for this region
  3. CLEAN curated pathways to action for the region
  4. NCA5 non-regional chapter connections

Key Messages for Hawai'i and US-Affiliated Pacific Islands:

National Climate Assessment Art X Climate selections

Artist's statement: This painting is about the effects of human-caused climate change and sea level rise on island and coastal populations. The people trapped within the composition, like fish in an aquarium, are disproportionately affected but not responsible for their circumstance. This piece was inspired by the noticeable effects of climate change in Polynesia. I witnessed eroding coastal areas and a reduced ability to provide agricultural subsistence due to saltwater infiltration when I returned to Samoa after 25 years.


Artist's statement: Coral reefs are being threatened globally from climate change, unsustainable fishing, and land-based pollution. This piece recalls coral reefs and their inhabitants. As reefs deteriorate, they lose their vibrant color and their ability to provide nutrients and shelter to thousands of marine species. Here, the gradation from color to monochrome represents the bleaching that occurs as coral dies. We need to protect these crucial ecosystems, or we lose them. I used upcycled remnant warp yarns for the coral clusters and created handmade paper.


Educational resources and guiding questions aligned with the regional Key Messages:

Each Key Message features three guiding questions to help educators navigate these topics with students. Each guiding question includes example lessons and supporting videos. The lessons were taken from the Climate Literacy and Energy Awareness Network (CLEAN) educational resources database. The videos were selected from reputable sources to support the lessons.

Key Message One: Climate Change Impairs Access to Healthy Food and Water

Access to clean, fresh water and healthy food is expected to be increasingly impaired by climate change. On low-lying atolls, sea level rise has caused saltwater contamination of fresh water. Regionally, food and water availability will be further negatively impacted by increasing temperatures, altered rainfall patterns, increased flooding and pollution, and degradation of nearshore fisheries. Adaptation actions such as traditional farming, fishing, and land-management practices can help build more resilient water and food systems. Find out more about this key messagehere.

Guiding question one: How does climate change disrupt food systems in Pacific Island communities? What are the impacts on food production, transportation, storage, and access to nutritious foods?

Guiding question two: In what ways is water essential for the economy and health of communities? How do climate-related factors compound to impact freshwater quality and availability in the Pacific Islands?

Guiding question three: How will food system impacts from climate change likely impact different populations, especially indigenous populations, and industries?

Key Message Two: Climate Change Undermines Human Health, but Community Strength Boosts Resilience

Climate change undermines the place-based foundations of human health and well-being in the Pacific Islands. Climate shocks and stressors compromise healthcare services and worsen long-standing social and economic inequities in both mental and physical health, and these negative impacts are expected to increase in the future. Adaptation efforts that build upon existing community strengths and center local and Indigenous Knowledge systems have great potential to boost resilience. Find out more about this key messagehere.

Guiding question one: How should cultural heritage shape the creation of resilience plans for human health in the region?

Guiding question two: What strategies can be implemented to mitigate the health impacts of extreme heat events, especially for vulnerable populations?

Guiding question three: How can local and Indigenous Knowledge systems improve resilience and increase adaptive capacity in Hawaii?

Key Message Three: Rising Sea Levels Threaten Infrastructure and Local
Economies and Exacerbate Existing Inequities

Climate change, particularly sea level rise (SLR), will continue to negatively impact the built environment and will harm numerous sectors of the islands' economies. SLR intensifies loss of territory and exclusive economic zones, particularly in low islands. Climate-driven changes will exacerbate existing social challenges by disrupting livelihoods. Adaptation to climate change and recovery from disasters is logistically challenging and disproportionately more expensive in the islands. Government and community groups have developed innovative ways to reduce emissions and improve resilience by moving toward renewable energy and green infrastructure, nature-based urban planning, forward-looking building codes, and sustainable and equitable economic growth, guided by Western science and Traditional Knowledge. Find out more about this key message here.

Guiding question one: How are communities working to improve the infrastructure in the region and what are the main challenges for creating and implementing successful adaptation plans?

Guiding question two: How do livelihoods and economies in the Pacific Islands depend on fishing, agriculture, and tourism?

Guiding question three: Why are certain components of the built environment and infrastructure more vulnerable to climate change in Hawaii?

Key Message Four: Responses to Rising Threats May Help Safeguard Tropical Ecosystems and Biodiversity

The structure and composition of Pacific Island coastal and marine ecological communities are directly threatened by rising ocean temperatures, ocean acidification, and sea level rise. Increasingly severe droughts and warming are increasing fire risk and will have broad negative impacts on native plants and wildlife, including an increased risk of forest bird extinctions. Adaptation strategies improve the resilience of ecosystems, including ecosystem protection, ecological restoration, invasive species prevention and control, and investments in fire prevention. Find out more about this key message here.

Guiding question one: What role do corals play in marine ecosystems and why are protecting coral reefs important to the overall health of the region?

Guiding question two: How are rising ocean temperatures and marine heatwaves projected to impact marine ecosystems and species in the Pacific Islands?

Guiding question three: Why are Hawaii and US-Affiliated Pacific Islands experiencing an increased risk of wildfires and what can be done to help mitigate that risk?

Key Message Five: Indigenous Knowledge Systems Strengthen Island Resilience

Indigenous Peoples and their knowledge systems are central to the resilience of island communities amidst the changing climate. Reciprocal and spiritual relationships among the lands, territories, waters, resources, and peoples are being strengthened and sustained as communities adapt and manage their resources collectively. Indigenous Peoples are identifying and quantifying the potential loss and migration of critical resources and expanding the cultivation of traditional food crops on high islands. Find out more about this key message here.

Guiding question one: What are some of the opportunities and adaptations that Indigenous communities are undertaking to preserve and maintain their culture?

Guiding question two: What does it mean to have a reciprocal relationship with the land and how do communities in the Pacific Islands honor that relationship to create more resilient communities?

Guiding question three: How are human health, the built environment, and ecosystem health uniquely connected in Hawaii and the US-Affiliated Pacific Islands?

Pathways to action for the Hawai'i and US-Affiliated Pacific Islands*

*These selections were curated by CLEAN

The following actions and case studies highlight ideas for climate change adaptation and mitigation at multiple scales and are meant to support and inspire students and educators to take steps that address the challenges outlined in this chapter.

Action 1: Coastal Wetland Restoration

Action 2: Seafloor Protection

Action 3: Flood Preparedness

Action 4: Prepare for Drought Events and Water Scarcity

Looking for more ideas for climate change actions? Explore the National Climate Assessment chapters on adaptation (chapter 31) and mitigation (chapter 32).

National Climate Assessment Hawai'i and US-Affiliated Pacific Islands Chapter Connections:

The national climate assessment includes multiple chapters on climate change-specific topics. The chapters and key messages offer ways to further engage with the NCA and find out more information related to the region.

 

Disclaimer: The National Climate Assessment regional resources for educators is written, edited, and moderated by each regional team of contributors. Posts reflect the views of the regional team themselves and not necessarily Climate.gov, NOAA and USGCRP.