Beach Erosion in Hawaii

Thesis Statement

Hawaii beach erosion is an alarming situation for the damage of tourism in Hawaii because coastal erosion at Hawaii typically poses more of a danger to human settlements than it does to nature itself.

Introduction

Nearly 25% (17 miles) of Oahu's beaches inm Hawaii have been lost or notably narrowed since early this century, with greater losses reported on the island of Maui. (Brown 12-50) Any shore with a sandy beach is vulnerable to beach loss from erosion. What's happening to portions of the beach in Kailua — a sunny coastal suburb of Honolulu where President Barack Obama spent his last two family vacations in the islands — is being repeated around the Hawaiian Islands.

My written report on coastal management will revolve around the main issue explored in our field trip which is the gradual erosion of the foredune on Hawaii beach, and its effects on stakeholders. This report will also include the decision making processes considered by the management (both local and state), (Short 75-100) as well as the descriptions of their actions/strategies, and thus the results of their policies.

Discussion

Geologists say more than 70 percent of Kauai's beaches are eroding while Oahu has lost a quarter of its sandy shoreline. They warn the problem is only likely to get significantly worse in coming decades as global warming causes sea levels to rise more rapidly. (Nordstrom 21-68) It will probably have occurred to a scale that we will have only been able to save a few places and maintain beaches, and the rest are kind of a write-off. The loss of so many beaches is an alarming prospect for Hawaii on many levels. Many tourists come to Hawaii precisely because they want to lounge on and walk along its soft sandy shoreline. These visitors spend some $11.4 billion each year, making tourism the state's largest employer.

Disappearing sands would also wreak havoc on the environment as many animals and plants would lose important habitats. The Hawaiian monk seal, an endangered species, gives birth and nurses pups on beaches. The green sea turtle, a threatened species, lays eggs in the sand. (Brown 12-50)

Chip Fletcher, a University of Hawaii geology professor, says scientists in Hawaii haven't yet observed an accelerated rate of sea level rise due to global warming. Instead, the erosion the islands are experiencing now is caused by several factors including a steady historical climb in sea levels that likely dates back to the 19th century. Other causes include storms and human actions like the construction of seawalls, jetties, and the dredging of stream mouths. (Short 75-100) Each of these human actions disrupts the natural flow of sand. But a more rapid rise in sea levels, caused by global warming, is expected to contribute to erosion in Hawaii within decades. In 100 years, sea levels are likely to be at least 1 meter, or 3.3 feet, higher than they are now, pushing the ocean inland along coastal areas. (Nordstrom 21-68)

Between 60 to 80 percent of the nation's shoreline is chronically ...