Supporting Community-Based Adaptation in Ka‘ūpūlehu, Hawai‘i using Traditional and Local Ecological Knowledge

In 2012, the Pacific Islands Climate Change Cooperative (PICCC) developed and funded a two-year project to implement a study of local and traditional ecological knowledge (TEK) in Ka‘ūpūlehu, Hawai‘i.  The purpose of the project was to not only better understand the multi-generational relationship of the Ka‘ūpūlehu community with the cultural and natural resources of West Hawai‘i; but more importantly, to facilitate the community’s development of information products and tools that will allow them to better understand and adapt to the anticipated impacts from anthropogenic global warming.  Project implementation has involved community engagement, participatory design and planning, resource mapping, and establishing a community liaison and partnership network to link science information with community practitioners and resource stewards.  As this project is nears completion, an overview of the various outputs will be presented and the implications for community-based adaptation in Ka‘ūpūlehu and other communities in Hawai‘i and elsewhere will be discussed.