RESEARCH PROJECT

Changes in Earth’s climate are increasingly affecting natural resources in Hawai‘i and many other Pacific Islands and territories. Increasing temperatures, decreasing rainfall, and more intense droughts and severe storms are just some of the challenges faced by resource managers. Further, many climate projections suggest that temperature will continue to increase into the future, which will have a profound impact on natural resources. Therefore, the need has never been greater for high-quality, reliable climate data and translated products that can be used for proactive planning around changing environmental conditions. This is especially true in underserved communities where access to data and resources are scarce for integrating climate information into management planning. When the best-available climate data and information is more readily available, climate-focused decision-making has the potential to be more meaningful and more effective.

This project will focus on improving the quantity, quality, and accessibility of data and information in an effort to build climate resilience and adaptive capacities in Hawai‘i, American Samoa, and Guam. We will work closely with partners, including ecosystem managers and water supply agencies, to identify climate information needs, and explore better ways to include future climate scenarios into management planning. In addition, a strong emphasis will be placed on developing new interactive, web-based resources, including new data products and site-specific climate information that can be easily accessed by a range of user groups, including resource managers, educators, community-based stewards, and other researchers.