Honolulu and Waikiki, Hawaii - the risk of groundwater inundation is very high. New research reveals part of the urbanized region of Honolulu and Waikiki will be flooded due to sea level rise as an effect of climate change.
The research was conducted by the University of Hawaii at Mānoa (UHM) headed by Shellie Habel, the lead author of the study and a doctoral student in the UHM Department of Geology and Geophysics. Together with the School of Ocean and Earth Science and Technology and colleagues, they developed a computer model that combines ground elevation, underwater location, monitoring data, estimates of tidal influence and numerical groundwater flow modeling to simulate flooding scenarios in the urban region as the sea water rises to three feet due climate change.
According to Science Newsline, UHM research shows climate change's devastating effects through floods on the economic aspects of Hawaii. "This flooding will threaten $5 billion of the taxable real estate; flood nearly 30 miles of roadway; and impact on the pedestrian, commercial and recreation activities, tourism, transportation, and infrastructures," Shellie Habel said.
Aside from these, health concerns may also arise from the flooding due to climate change. Hawaii's 89% of underground liquid waste storage are feared to overflow as the sea level rises approximately 3 feet. Population and communities will be affected at the ground surface.
Chip Fletcher, professor of Geology and Geophysics and associate dean in SOEST and principal investigator of the study, said that the findings on the effects of climate change suggest that communities in coastal areas of Hawaii and the world are very much affected by the groundwater flooding hazards associated with sea-level rise. Seawall construction is futile as flooding still will occur.
In a report from another study that concerns about the impact of climate change in Hawaii posted in Huffington Post, the oceans, rainfall, ecosystems, and immunity of people who live on islands in the Pacific are all at peril. Tourism industry might also vanish.
The study was paid for by Hawaii Tourism Authority (HTA) and is projecting that climate change will result to a higher average temperature that greatly affects animals, plants, and humans with all heat-related illnesses and a higher concentration of invasive species. A decrease in trade winds that will result in disrupted rainfall patterns which will eventually cause floods and droughts; and warmer oceans and higher oceans acidity that will trigger a massive coral bleaching, marine migration, and disturbance is marine nutrients distribution may also be possible.
Meanwhile, the most obvious of the climate change will be the rise of sea level around the state of Hawaii. According to the study, there will be about 0.5-1.3 inches per decade throughout the 100 years. And at this rate, there will be a 1 foot to 3 feet rise by the year 2100.
The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration also projects a worst-case scenario that if the sea level rose to 6 feet, the new Honolulu and Waikiki shoreline will be almost a mile inland of Hawaii. Impact on climate change in hotels and tourism revenues will be at $2 billion overall loss each year.
However, nobody knows exactly when and where these changes will take place. But the University of Hawaii has already listed various ways for the Hawaii agencies and the residents to follow in order to help the environment recuperate itself and prevent the disaster from happening as well as to lessen the effects of climate change.
