LIHUE, Hawaii — Acknowledging both the inevitability of ongoing coastal erosion and flooding along with the scientific tools available to help mitigate their impact, Kauai Mayor Derek Kawakami last week signed into law a measure that amends county construction design standards to incorporate sea level rise modeling projections.

What You Need To Know

  • Bill 2879 updates the Constraint Sea Level Rise District in the Comprehensive Zoning Ordinance to address sea level rise impacts on annual high-wave run-up and passive flooding that’s projected to occur within this century

  • The ordinance requires the lowest floor of all new residential construction, and substantial residential construction improvements be elevated two feet above the highest sea level rise flood elevation

  • It also requires all new non-residential construction, and substantial non-residential improvements, to be elevated at least one foot above the highest sea level rise flood elevation

  • Computer model projections produced by the University of Hawaii at Manoa Climate Resilience Collaborative — one of the authors of the bill — show areas across the Hawaiian Islands where chronic coastal flooding and erosion are expected to occur as sea level rises in the coming decades

“Today is truly a historic day as I sign this bill into law,” said Mayor Derek S. K. Kawakami. “We are grateful to our Planning Department and the University of Hawaii at Manoa’s Climate Resilience Collaborative for their collective work on this progressive measure. Kauai is no stranger to the impacts of climate change, as we’ve seen in the floods of 2018 and the recent historic south swell and king tides in July, which resulted in significant infrastructure damage. This new ordinance ensures that the inevitable effects of coastal erosion and flooding are determining factors in the future growth and development of our island.”

Kawakami signed Bill 2879 on Oct. 14 in a ceremony at the Lihue Civic Center attended by more than 25 representatives from agencies and organizations involved with crafting and passing the measure.

“I want to thank the Planning Department and its leadership for this first-of-its-kind landmark policy that will also help other municipalities as a model to better prepare for our future,” said Kauai County Council Vice Chair Mason Chock, who also serves as chairperson for the Council’s Planning Committee. “Government is often known to be reactive, so it’s nice to see a proactive approach from Kaua‘i County.”

According to Spectrum News media partner, The Garden Island newspaper, Kauai joins Boston, Massachusetts as one of only two municipalities in the U.S. to adopt measures regulating construction with consideration for sea level rise. 

The legislation updates the Constraint Sea Level Rise District in the Comprehensive Zoning Ordinance to address sea level rise impacts on annual high-wave run-up and passive flooding that’s projected to occur within this century. The ordinance requires the lowest floor of all new residential construction, and substantial residential construction improvements be elevated two feet above the highest sea level rise flood elevation. It also requires all new non-residential construction, and substantial non-residential improvements, to be elevated at least one foot above the highest sea level rise flood elevation.

“Living on a small island in the middle of the Pacific Ocean, there’s no ignoring the threat of climate change on our natural and built environments,” said Kauai planning director Kaaiina Hull. “This bill is a result of years of hard work and collaboration and sets a new standard for planning policies, which previously have been based solely on historical data and events. We’re incredibly grateful to all involved in this groundbreaking effort that will propel Kauai toward a more secure and resilient future.”

Computer model projections produced by the University of Hawaii at Manoa Climate Resilience Collaborative — one of the authors of the bill — show areas across the Hawaiian Islands where chronic coastal flooding and erosion are expected to occur as sea level rises in the coming decades. The projections are incorporated in the Kauai Seal Level Rise Constraint District Viewer, an online atlas on which elevation design standards outlined in the new ordinance are based.

“The Climate Resilience Collaborative has worked closely with the Kauai County Planning Department to fine-tune the data to ensure the highest quality and create a stand-alone viewer that can be used as a planning tool,” said Chip Fletcher, interim dean of the UH Manoa School of Ocean and Earth Science and technology director of the collaborative. “The latest IPCC reports tell us with high confidence that sea level rise will persist for ‘centuries to millennia’ due to ongoing warming of the oceans and melting of the ice sheets.

“There is nothing we can do to stop sea level rise,” he said. “This measure will minimize the threat to public health and safety, promote resilient planning and design and minimize the expenditure of public money for costly flood control projects necessitated by accelerating sea level rise. Kauai is providing an example for coastal communities around the nation of the next right step in building community resiliency to climate change impacts.”

Michael Tsai covers local and state politics for Spectrum News Hawaii.