A first step in resilient design is to identify and utilize current information on climate science and hazards to determine what hazards may affect the property or building site. This information can be used to inform siting and design of structures to support reduced risk, enhanced safety, and long-term protection of natural systems, people, and structures. Land use, community planning, and zoning practices are critical implementation tools for long-term hazards and financial risk mitigation for the City, its residents, and businesses.

The Climate Ready O‘ahu Web Explorer is an online mapping tool that features data from the City, State, and Federal governments. The data represents best available science for a variety of climate change stressors and other regulatory layers. Mayor’s Directive 18-2, “City and County of Honolulu Actions to Address Climate Change and Sea Level Rise (SLR),” requires the use of such information for a variety of City functions for planning, design, and long-term operations. This tool can also be used by private landowners and developers to assess what climate change-related hazards may impact their site, thereby informing design decisions.

The Web Explorer incorporates SLR data from the State of Hawai‘i Sea Level Rise Vulnerability and Adaptation Report (2017), which utilized modeling of combined impacts from passive flooding due to  SLR, annual high wave flooding, and coastal erosion to identify Sea Level Rise Exposure Area (SLR-XAs) across the state for up to 3.2 feet of SLR.

The Web Explorer also incorporates data from the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) SLR Viewer, which identifies areas impacted by 6+ feet of SLR. The six foot level can be used for siting or designing critical infrastructure or projects with a lifespan of 50 or more years.

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Climate Ready Oʻahu Web Explorer:

The SLR-Viewer allows users to analyze hazards at increments of:

• 3.2 ft and 6 ft of SLR by parcel
• Indicates where highways will be flooded in different SLR scenarios
• Features a heat index layer function
• Includes 2010 tree canopy / land cover data

Oʻahu SLR-Viewer Example (ESRI) – Urban Honolulu with 6 ft of SLR

Hawai‘i SLR Viewer:

The SLR-Viewer allows users to analyze hazards at increments of:

• 0.5 ft, 1.1 ft, 2 ft, and 3.2 ft of SLR
• Indicates where highways will be flooded in different SLR scenarios
• The SLR-XA indicates areas that will be impacted by passive flooding due to sea level rise, annual high wave flooding, and coastal erosion

State SLR-Viewer Example (PaciOOS) – Urban Honolulu with 3.2 ft of SLR

NOAA SLR Viewer:

The SLR-Viewer allows users to analyze hazards at increments of:

• 1 ft to 10 ft of SLR
• Indicates High Tide Flooding, Social Vulnerability, and Marsh Migration
• The vertical slider allow users to simulate water level rise, the resulting inundation footprint, and relative depth

National SLR-Viewer Example (NOAA) – Urban Honolulu with 6 ft of SLR