Laying the groundwork for water security preparedness and resilience in Hawaii and the USAPI through strong partnerships, robust scientific information, and increased analytical capacity
Abstract
Water is a sacred and valuable resource, essential to life and inextricably linked to the cultural identity of the millions of residents in Hawai i and the US Affiliated Pacific Islands (USAPI). Increased water security preparedness and resilience is urgently needed in these islands as they are among the places most vulnerable globally to climate change and water pollution impacts. Thus, ensuring adequate and sustained supply and access of clean water for people and the environment is a critically important issue to address in Hawai i and the USAPI. We propose an integrated and highly collaborative approach to effectively manage and protect water resources in Hawai i and USAPI. Our proposed approach is divided into two goals to be completed over two years, 1) impactful response: addressing the urgent needs stemming from the Red Hill water contamination crisis; and 2) water security preparedness: developing rapid response assessment frameworks and collaborative and integrative partnership networks to better plan for, prevent, mitigate, and respond to future water resources challenges. Because of the nature of water security, where both expertise and coordination are needed in response to events such as contamination or drought, we propose 3 Research Coordination Areas. Each area is organized around themes of 1) Hydrology, 2) Monitoring and 3) Impacts, representing the three themes of research response needed during catastrophic events. Our proposed project directly supports critical research, analytical, programmatic,communication and networking capacity needs stemming from the Red Hill water crisis. Moreover, through targeted communication with Hawai i state regulatory and management agencies, this proposed work supports the research priorities identified by the agencies. Anticipated outcomes include 1) enhanced research and technical capacity to rapidly detect, monitor and quantify contaminants and measure their impacts on water resources, human health,and the environment; 2) enhanced programmatic and technical capacity to support research, analytical, community outreach and communication objectives; and 3) enhanced community engagement and communication. Our proposed work also aims to highlight water security and resilience issues in the USAPI and better understand their needs and identify areas of targeted support, community engagement, and partnership support. Lastly, the proposed work aligns directly with the DoD#s mission to protect national security through enhanced water security and resilience in strategic hubs for national security and defense in Hawai i and the USAPI.APPROVED FOR PUBLIC RELEASE
Document Details
- Document Type
- DoD Grant Award
- Publication Date
- Aug 11, 2023
- Source ID
- N000142312738
Entities
People
- Thomas Giambelluca
Organizations
- Office of Naval Research
- United States Navy
- University of Hawaiʻi System