Hawaii's potential flooding reflects how climate change impacts disadvantaged most

View of Makaha Valley on the Waianae Coast from Makaha Valley Towers

The Waianae Coast offers some of the most authentic of the
culture in Hawaii, as well as some of its most beautiful scenery and pristine beaches.  It was once the haven of Hawaii's royalty.  But in modern times it now is home for many of the poor of the islands, who face the impact of climate change most, just as in other areas of the world.


Along a single highway that winds its way from Oahu's second city of Kapolei to the dry end of the island in the area of Makaha are the homes that face the worst of potential flooding from lack of attention to infrastructure at a time when there have been changes to the topography sufficient for serious flooding to occur.

In 1996 the Makaha Valley Towers, a complex that rests on the hillside overlooking the valley to the ocean below, was hit by boulders from a constant stream of water developed from weeks of rain that year.  In the early morning hours, the heavy, rumbling sounds were akin to the deafening noise of a train off track and headed for ruin.  And indeed the boulders hit the walls of the condominium, as they overturned cars and blocked the driveways that led to the exit roads.

People were trapped in the building, some for days, as the Salvation Army and Red Cross furnished supplies to residents unable to leave to shop and get the things they needed. This journalist was one of those trapped there at the time, while documenting information on events and rallying members of the community through writing editorial content published by the Honolulu Advertiser.  Those who lived in Makaha Valley Towers at the time remember the events so dramatic they were part of front page news on CNN disaster news that year.

Recent studies of the Makaha Valley indicate the risks of flooding remain, most especially from the mountains and the areas along Farrington Highway, where homes are valued much less than those in other areas of Hawaii but nonetheless provide shelter for many of the poor, many of whom are Native Hawaiians.

These long-time residents face financial and physical hardships in the face of flooding issues, as the winter season can often bring considerable rain in some years, even in Makaha, where the weather is drier than other areas of the islands.

Physical and social scientists tell us that it is the poor, the very young, the old, and those with disabilities who suffer, and will continue to suffer, most from the effects of global warming. Sadly the rich nations, and particularly those within them who have the most, no longer seem to care about those least of their brethren, as demonstrated by the millions of people who die every day from hunger and exposure throughout the world while the disparities between the rich and poor continue to grow. The environmental change will exacerbate those issues.

In October 2002 the Black Leadership Forum, the Southern Organizing Committee for Economic and Social Justice, the Georgia Coalition for The People's Agenda, and Clear the Air put together a report about the unequal effects of global warming on African Americans. They concluded that African Americans are particularly at risk from pollution because they live in areas where there are more pollutants.

On July 20, 2004 Congresswoman Eddie Johnson and the Congressional Black Caucus reported on the negative consequences of global warming on the African American population. They have declared the need to take action internationally and support measures to reduce air pollutants that add to global warming.

Just as the African American community faces the negative impacts of climate change, so do many of the Native Hawaiians along Oahu's Waianae Coast.  The community has organized members to meet with government officials, following studies that outline the risks to the area.

In the meantime the winter rains that visited the islands in 1996 and again in 2008, both periods when considerable flooding occurred, are part of the island weather predictions, as some of the beach erosion and topographical changes have removed some of the protective brush and land areas as well.

The issues of global warming aren't just for scientists anymore. They effect us all. So it is important for individuals and communities to look carefully at these declarations to see how well we are doing to stop the expansion of activities that lead to further and further erosion of the planet and global warming that can produce terrible consequences. In other words, the responsibility is ours, everywhere, including the nation's paradise of the Pacific, Hawaii.