The city’s Department of Planning and Permits (DPP) says it is studying the impacts of climate change on Waikiki.
The so-called ‘Adapt Waikiki 2050’ study aims to create a unified outlook for social infrastructure due to sea level rise and lay the foundation for understanding the expected future.
The research is conducted by three companies: engineering company Tetra Tech, SSFM International, and Workshop Green.
The contract deposit is $399,557, and the study deadline is the end of 2025.
The ‘Adopt Waikiki 2050’ study was conducted by the ‘One Water Panel’, which consists of nine city government departments, including the Department of Planning and Permits, the Department of Environmental Management (DES), the Water Department, and the Office of Climate Change, Sustainability and Resiliency (OCCSR). It will be supervised by an audit organization called ‘.
The Planning and Permit Bureau explained that based on the results of this study, state and county governments will be able to more efficiently prepare regulations and administrative procedures to respond to sea level rise.
At the same time as this study, the Honolulu City Council is pursuing legislative activities that take sea level rise into consideration.
For example, on August 31, City Council President Tommy Waters proposed Resolution 207, which seeks to amend the city’s land use ordinance to strengthen regulations on inspection and maintenance of Waikiki beachfront hotels.
Resolution 207 aims to conduct structural inspections on coastal hotels within three years, and then conduct the same inspection once every four years.
According to the resolution, the inspection target is a hotel built on Waikiki Beach, and all related costs will be borne by the hotel owner.
It also empowers the Planning and Permissions Authority to coordinate correction schedules and prescribe penalties when structural problems are discovered.
At the City Council Management Committee meeting on October 18, Chairman Tommy Waters emphasized that sea level rise is not something in the distant future, but is happening now, and explained that practical measures are needed to ensure the safety and prosperity of Waikiki.
Meanwhile, it is known that the hotel industry is opposing Resolution 207 due to the cost burden.
Sean Dee, senior vice president of Outrigger Group, criticized Resolution 207 for replicating existing practices targeting Waikiki beachfront hotels.
He added that Outrigger buildings are inspected for structural integrity every seven to 10 years and undergo extensive renovations, which cost approximately $50 million to $100 million.
There were voices of approval from academia.
Dr. Chip Fletcher, a climatologist at the State University of Hawaii, said that sea water is rising every day not only in Waikiki but also in the Urban Honolulu area, and that this is a factor in corroding artificial structures and infrastructure installed underground.
He then pointed out that the water table in Waikiki is directly connected to the sea, so it frequently changes depending on the tide, and added that since it is an issue directly related to the integrity of the building, regulations such as Resolution 207 are needed.