Coastal Homestead Community Resilience Plan Begins

map courtesy of Sust’ainable Molokai

Molokai community members are taking another important step in addressing sea level rise and climate change.
Dept. of Hawaiian Home Lands (DHHL) residents of Kalamaula, Kapa‘akea, and Kamiloloa One Ali‘i are encouraged to attend the second beneficiary meeting to discuss the Molokai Coastal Homestead Community Resilience Plan (MCH-CRP). This meeting is a critical step toward ensuring the sustainability and resilience of Molokai’s coastal communities.

The primary goal of this session is to identify key issues and hazards affecting each ahupua‘a, including flooding, erosion, deforestation, and wildfires. This meeting marks the initial step in developing solutions and initiating relevant projects to address these challenges. During the final phase of the MCH-CRP, up to five projects will be prioritized for each ahupua‘a.

Lehua Kauka, president of the Kalamaula Homestead Association, emphasized the importance of this project.

“Because Kalamaula Homestead is aina hoʻopulapula, our homesteadersʻ residence are close to the shorelines and vulnerable to erosion of the shorelines,” explained Kauka. “Kalamaula, as with other coastal areas, recognize that our marine resources are threatened because of coastal and shoreline erosion. It is our hope MCH-CRPʻs collaboration with Kalamaula Homesteaders Association will conclude with strategies and implementations to find solutions to control shoreline erosions.”

The MCH-CRP team includes Nancy McPherson, DHHL climate change and resilience project planner, Sustʻainable Molokai, serving as the beneficiary engagement consultant, and G70 Design, acting as the primary project consultant and plan writer.

The meeting will be held on Thursday, June 20 from 5 to 7 p.m. at Kulana ‘Oiwi Halau. Dinner for attendees will be prepared by Naʻike.