Honolulu Mayor Tells All City Departments to Prepare for Sea Level Rise

Honolulu Mayor Kirk Caldwell last week issued a formal directive for all city departments and agencies "to take action in order to address, minimize the risks from, and adapt to the impacts of climate change and sea level rise," according to a press release from the Mayor's Office [pdf] and the Office of Climate Change, Sustainability, and Resiliency.

"The mayor gave the directive in a press conference Monday after receiving sea level rise guidelines from the the [sic] Honolulu Climate Change Commission, which is led by the University of Hawaii," reports Austin Westfall.

According to the commission, Oahu is the most vulnerable of the Hawaiian Islands. "The report says nearly 4,000 structures on Oahu, most of which are homes or businesses, will be chronically flooded with the three-foot sea level rise. Furthermore, about 18 miles of the island’s coastal roads will become impassable, jeopardizing access to many communities," explains Westfall.

Hat tip to Jason Plautz for sharing the news. Plautz also notes that the directive instructs all city departments and agencies to treat the challenges of climate change and seal level rise as urgent.