Climate Change & Health
Climate change will impact Hawaiʻi. The islands are particularly vulnerable to the effects of climate change due to our location in the middle of the Pacific Ocean. Expected impacts include higher temperatures, rising sea levels, changes in rainfall patterns, more frequent and intense storms, wildfires, increased coastal erosion, biodiversity loss, and ocean acidification.
These changes endanger our food and water sources, our marine ecosystems, our air quality, our coastal communities, our ability to respond to disasters, our cultural connections to the land, our agriculture and tourism industries, and our overall health and well-being. Health threats from climate change are widespread but may affect some areas and populations more than others. Please see the resources below to learn more about how Hawaiʻi’s public health is threatened by the climate crisis and what the State is doing to protect our communities.
Graphic: Impacts of Climate Change on Human Health in Hawaiʻi (Adapted from California Department of Public Health and CDC)
Climate Change and Heat, and Climate Change and Invasive Species Campaigns
HEAT
The Department of Health has partnered with the City & County of Honolulu’s Resilience Office, Hawaiʻi County’s Office of Sustainability, Climate, Equity, and Resilience (OSCER), Kauaʻi County’s Office of Economic Development, and Maui County, to develop a cross-county heat awareness campaign. Please see the campaign here for specific heat safety tips.
INVASIVE SPECIES
The State of Hawaiʻi, City & County of Honolulu’s Resilience Office, Hawaiʻi County’s Office of Sustainability, Climate, Equity, and Resilience (OSCER), Kauaʻi County’s Office of Economic Development, and Maui County collaborated on a series of posts on climate change, invasive species, and health. This series is one aspect of the state and counties’ work to combat invasive species.
Please see the campaign here to learn more about the state and counties’ work on invasive species.
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
Timeline of Progress in Hawaiʻi
Climate Change & Health Vulnerability Assessment (Living Document)
