July 17, 2022
THIS WEEK IN HUMAN RIGHTS NEWS
Hawai’i faces water shortages, water contamination by US military
Sources: Washington Post, Hawaii Public Radio, Environmental Defence Fund, Indian Country Today, ArcGIS Online, The Guardian
In Hawai’i, drought and water contamination have impacted the availability of water access for residents. Mandatory water restrictions and declaration of water shortage have affected the island of Maui in particular.
In November 2021, a fuel leak of 14,000 gallons of jet fuel from the Pearl Harbor naval base contaminated water sources and ‘sickened thousands of people’.
The fuel leak not only contaminated drinking water sources but also leaked into a groundwater aquifer, potentially contaminating the vital water source ‘irreparably’. So far, the Navy has arranged to ‘defuel’ the fuel storage facility where the leak originated, but will not complete this project until 2024.
Islands rely heavily on rainwater for groundwater supply. In the case of Hawai’i, the Environmental Defence Fund noted that drought – a byproduct of climate change – threatens the availability of water for drinking and crop irrigation.
Hawai’i is a well-known tourist destination, but its history and Indigenous culture is often misrepresented and appropriated. The Covid-19 pandemic limited tourism to the island, and the reduction in traffic yielded improvements to the island’s beaches and hiking trails.
Once travel restrictions lightened, tourism flooded back to the island and Native Hawaiians took to social media to describe the negative impact of over-tourism on the quality of life and to the island’s natural habitats. Some tourist behaviour included touching endangered animals, ignoring trail signs and disrespecting sacred areas. Water usage is also an issue in over-tourism, as water supplies are redirected to hotels instead of to residents.
In addition to advocating for safer and more sustainable tourism levels, Indigenous farmers are working to restore traditional farming practices to the land, which would also restore crucial biodiversity to the islands.