Characterization Description
The State of Hawai‘i faces many environmental challenges due to its finite land and water resources and its dependence on the import of food and other basic needs. The Wai‘anae community, situated between the western coast of O‘ahu and the peaks of the Wai‘anae Mountain Range, is no exception. Historically, the Wai‘anae moku was known for its abundant ocean and coastal resources and as the "Poi Bowl" of the leeward coast for the amount of kalo produced as an agricultural staple.
Over the past 150 years, Wai‘anae has seen dramatic changes in its land cover and natural resources as a result of the introduction of western values, among them land ownership and monetary value. The demise of the sugar industry left large agricultural districts subject to urban sprawl. Urban growth and watershed impacts, such as the loss of native forest and the diversion of water, have resulted in increased water pollution, soil erosion, and runoff, which have been detrimental to Wai‘anae's ocean and coastal resources. Mullet (anae), the fish for which the area was named, are not as abundant due to altered coastal and estuarine habitats. However, there are renewed efforts to restore stream flow and protect Wai‘anae's fragile resources as a result of collaborative community-based partnerships.
The Hawai‘i Coastal Zone Management Program (CZM Hawai‘i) is currently engaging the Wai‘anae community and other partners to develop a management framework that applies ahupua‘a (a traditional land division) values and practices. The Wai‘anae moku, or traditional land district, is composed of nine ahupua‘a, each unique and facing different environmental challenges.
Map of the Wai‘anae moku and its nine ahupua‘a.
Source: CZM Hawai‘iCZM Hawai‘i, with financial and technical assistance from the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) and technical contributions from various state and community partners, has developed the Wai‘anae Ecological Characterization (WEC). The WEC is a CD-ROM and Web-based product that is intended to provide useful information for the development of the Wai‘anae moku management framework.
This section discusses the goals and objectives of the WEC, the WEC as it relates to ahupua‘a and moku managment, and the partners and individuals who have been involved with this project.
