City Council lays out official strategy for climate change prevention on Oʻahu - Hawaiipublicradio

City Council lays out official strategy for climate change prevention on Oʻahu | Hawai'i Public Radio

City Council lays out official strategy for climate change prevention on Oʻahu

Honolulu has adopted Climate Ready Oʻahu, the city’s first-ever climate adaptation strategy.

The Honolulu City Council this week approved a resolution to establish the strategy against the impacts of climate change.

The strategy focuses on the top five climate hazards facing the island. They include rising sea levels and temperatures, drought and wildfires and hurricanes.

“Climate change is increasingly impacting every facet of life, which is why we made adaptation a priority," Honolulu Mayor Rick Blangiardi said in a statement.

"Through the actions laid out in this strategy, we now have a clear path as to how the city, community and individuals can work together to address climate equity and protect what we love,” he continued.

It includes nearly 60 actions the city and community as a whole must take to prepare and protect the island from issues related to climate change.

“The thing about climate change is that it's a global issue with local impacts. The things that we can do to adapt to those impacts are going to be place-based, they're going to be community-based and so the solutions need to be community grounded,” said Alex Yee, the coastal and water program manager of the City and County of Honolulu’s Office of Climate Change, Sustainability and Resiliency.

The city said it has and will continue to work with the state, private and public organizations to further implement the new strategy.