Coastal erosion in Hawaii: Factfile

Location:

Hawaii is a state of the USA made up of many islands located in the Pacific
Ocean. The islands are the most remote island chain in the world. They are
located in the centre of the PAcific Ocean, 3 850 km away from the coast of
California and 6195 km away from the coast of Japan. The islands span the
distance of 2451 km, from the Big Island of Hawaii (in the south-east), to
Kure Atoll (in the north-west). The islands are located in between the
coordinates 154 º W and 161º W, and 18º N and 23º N.
Dangers of living in the coast:

Living in the coast can have many advantages as well as many

disadvantages. Some of the disadvantages include natural hazards, like
tsunamis, typhoons, hurricanes and cyclones. These are a tremendous
threat for the people that live in areas that are prone to have these hazards.
Also the coasts are very touristic which means that many people like to visit
them. This produces a negative impact on the environment due to the
contamination of humans. Therefore people that live in the coasts suffer the
pollution and overpopulation of these zones. These zones are also
threatened by sea level rise, coastal erosion and flooding, which can be
dangerous and destructive.

Conflict caused by coastal management in Hawaii:

There is a conflict concerning the use of sewalls in the coast of Hawaii. On

one hand, the citizens claim that the sea wall would protect them from
rising sea level or occasional flooding, and protect their houses. On the
other hand, the scientists say that the sea walls on eroding shorelines only
lead to more erosion down the coast. This is supported by recent studies.
So there is a conflict on whether to protect the people and their houses, or
whether to protect the coasts and environment.