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Hawaii. Given that increased, development,
<br />deforestation, and certain land management
<br />practices can become carbon sources, the County
<br />will need to preserve open spaces and forested
<br />lands to maintain carbon sinks. The General Plan
<br />expands on opportunities for climate -conscious
<br />land development in the Land Use section.
<br />Climate Adaptation
<br />Climate adaptation refers to actions to increase
<br />resilience to climate change impacts. Adaptation
<br />actions adjust to the actual or expected future
<br />climate to reduce risks from the harmful effects of
<br />climate change and maximize any potential benefit
<br />opportunities. The effects of climate change that
<br />are already starting to impact Hawai'i Island
<br />include increased air and sea surface temperature,
<br />drought, extreme rainfall, sea level rise, and
<br />increased hurricanes. These hazards exacerbate
<br />and are exacerbated by other hazards including
<br />wildfire, flooding, landslides, and high winds.
<br />Climate change poses a threat to ecosystem and
<br />community health. Climate change also endangers
<br />critical infrastructure and services, including
<br />structures, roads, bridges, potable water and
<br />watersheds, wastewater, parks, and emergency
<br />services.
<br />Human and Environmental Health
<br />Rising GHG emissions result in higher air and sea
<br />surface temperatures and greater absorption of
<br />carbon dioxide in the ocean, which increases
<br />ocean acidity. Coastal communities are especially
<br />susceptible to increased temperatures, with longer
<br />stretches of temperatures well above 80'F. Higher
<br />temperatures alone can be dangerous for the
<br />health of humans and other living organisms.
<br />Higher temperatures also change the natural
<br />cycles of our planet. For example, higher
<br />temperatures can affect how the atmosphere
<br />retains water, leading to increased rain in some
<br />areas and drought in others. High temperatures
<br />can be hazardous, particularly for vulnerable
<br />populations and those exposed for long durations.
<br />Kupuna and keiki are even more susceptible to the
<br />effects of extreme heat. Prolonged exposure to
<br />extreme heat can cause heat exhaustion, heat
<br />stroke, and death, as well as exacerbate
<br />preexisting chronic conditions such as respiratory,
<br />cerebral, and cardiovascular diseases.12
<br />Plants, birds, and other living organisms will
<br />migrate and likely be more stressed with rising air
<br />temperature. Increased air temperature will affect
<br />the behavioral patterns of species on Hawai'i
<br />Island. For instance, avian mosquitoes are
<br />migrating mauka with warmer air temperatures,
<br />harming native bird populatiohs that live at higher
<br />elevations.73 While some plant species may benefit
<br />from higher concentrations of atmospheric carbon
<br />dioxide, other factors essential to plants' growth
<br />such as nutrients, temperature, and water may limit
<br />growth. For example, the seed production of koa
<br />decreases in response to higher temperatures.
<br />There are various ways plant and animal species
<br />can adapt to increased temperature. In alpine
<br />ecosystems throughout the Pacific, species. have
<br />been migrating to higher elevations in response to
<br />climate change.14 Higher temperature intensify
<br />drought conditions by increasing evaporation,
<br />which can lead to higher tree mortality and
<br />contribute to forest decline.15 Urban areas often
<br />lack tree canopies and green spaces that absorb
<br />heat and provide shade. Instead, structures such as
<br />buildings and roads elevate the surrounding
<br />temperature, leading to an urban heat island
<br />effect.
<br />12 National Institutes of Environmental Health, Climate and Human Health (2022)
<br />httpss•//www niehs nih gov/research/programs/climatechange/health impacts/heat/index cfm#•—•text=Prolonged%20exposure%20to%20extreme%
<br />20heat%2C%20cerebral%2C%20and%20cardiovascular%20diseases
<br />13 L. B. Fortini, L. R. Kaiser,, D. A. LaPointe, Fostering real-time climate adaptation: Analyzing past, current, and forecast temperature to understand
<br />the dynamic risk to Hawaiian honeycreepers from avian malaria. Glob. Ecol. Conserv. 23, e01069 (2020).
<br />14 Frazier, A. G., & Brewington, L. (2020). Current Changes in Alpine Ecosystems of Pacific Islands. In M. I. Goldstein & D. A. DellaSala (Eds.),
<br />Encyclopedia of the World's Biomes (pp. 607-619). Oxford: Elsevier.
<br />15 Brodribb, T.J., Powers, J., Cochard, H. and Choat, B. (2020). Hanging by a thread? Forests and drought. Science, 368(6488), pp.261-266.
<br />3.0 Addressing Climate Change for Island -Wide Health I County of Hawaii General Plan 61
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