Ola Waikīkī

Aloha! Welcome to Ola Waikīkī, an immersive journey through the Ala Wai Watershed.

Here, you'll discover its rich history, explore the pressing environmental challenges it faces, and witness the innovative solutions being implemented to restore this vital Hawai'ian ecosystem. Whether you're here to learn, engage, or take action, this storymap will guide you through the efforts to create a more resilient and sustainable future for Waikiki and its communities.

Mahalo for joining us!

The Ala Wai Watershed faces significant challenges related to both water quantity (flooding) and water quality (pollution). This project focuses on improving the water quality in the Ala Wai Canal, a man-made waterway that has been heavily impacted by pollutants such as sediment, chemicals, and harmful microorganisms.

GSI offers nature-based solutions to stormwater management, aiming to slow runoff, promote water infiltration, and filter out contaminants. Unlike traditional "gray" infrastructure, which relies on pipes and drains to remove stormwater, GSI mimics natural systems through rain gardens, bioswales, water catchment systems, and other methods. By incorporating GSI into Honolulu’s stormwater strategy, the project seeks to provide ecological, economic, social, and cultural benefits to the community.

• Identify pollution hotspots and practices contributing to poor water quality.
• Gather community feedback to inform preferred mitigation strategies.
• Invest in green stormwater infrastructure pilot projects through mini-grants.
• Provide management recommendations for long-term watershed health.
• Foster community-driven efforts to enhance resilience and sustainability.

This initiative, led by Hawaiʻi Sea Grant, encourages community involvement and sustainable approaches to restore the Ala Wai Watershed’s health and resilience for future generations.

The Ala Wai Watershed includes the Pālolo, Mānoa and Makīkī valleys and is home to 200,000 residents and 80,000 visitors on any given day. The watershed includes many cultural sites, initiatives, stories, and moʻolelo of place that hold extraordinary cultural value and significance. It is also home to the economic hubs of Waikīkī, UH Mānoa, and Mōʻiliʻili.

The watershed has played a pivotal role in the development of Honolulu and Waikiki. Once a vast wetland, it was essential to the cultural and agricultural practices of Native Hawaiians. In the 1920s, urbanization led to the construction of the Ala Wai Canal, designed to drain the wetlands and create more land for development. Over the decades, the canal has become a crucial part of the city’s drainage system but has also been a source of environmental challenges such as pollution, flooding, and sediment buildup.

The watershed includes rich and diverse natural resources, such as forest, riparian, coastal and marine ecosystems, and public spaces, parks, and waterbodies that are heavily used for recreation by the community.

Interesting Fact: The Ala Wai Flood Mitigation Plan, a  $1 billion initiative by the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers , aims to address the risk of catastrophic flooding in the Ala Wai watershed. Though developed since the 1990s, the plan has drawn criticism for prioritizing infrastructure, like floodwalls, over natural restoration efforts. This debate is particularly relevant following the significant  2004 flood at the University of Hawai'i at Manoa , which highlighted the watershed’s vulnerability. Urbanization has intensified these risks, degrading water quality and reducing natural habitats, underscoring the need for sustainable, long-term solutions.

The Ala Wai Watershed is beset by multiple, interconnected environmental challenges:

These challenges collectively threaten the watershed’s ecological health, requiring a comprehensive approach that combines innovative infrastructure, nature-based solutions, and community involvement to mitigate the issues and restore resilience.

Green Stormwater Infrastructure (GSI) is a transformative approach designed to restore the natural water cycle within the Ala Wai Watershed while tackling both flooding and pollution challenges. Unlike traditional “gray” infrastructure, which relies on networks of pipes, drains, and canals to channel stormwater away as quickly as possible, GSI focuses on replicating nature’s processes. By encouraging water to absorb into the ground close to where it falls, GSI reduces the speed and volume of runoff, while also filtering out pollutants, helping to both manage stormwater and restore water quality.

Green stormwater techniques include rain gardens, bioswales, and permeable pavements, all of which slow down runoff, giving it time to seep into the soil and recharge groundwater. This natural filtration removes harmful pollutants — like sediments, nutrients from fertilizers, and heavy metals — before they reach waterways like the Ala Wai Canal. For example, rain gardens use plants to absorb water and nutrients, while bioswales direct water through vegetated channels that further filter and clean stormwater.

In addition to stormwater control, these GSI elements bring ecological value by creating green spaces that support native plants and wildlife, enhancing urban environments while contributing to flood prevention.

Green Stormwater Infrastructure (GSI) brings wide-ranging benefits that impact the environment, economy, and community, making it a powerful tool for restoring the Ala Wai Watershed.

• Flood Prevention
• Water Quality Improvement
• Climate Moderation
• Ecosystem Restoration

• Job Creation
• Property Value Increase
• Cost Savings

• Healthier Living
• Social Connectivity
• Educational and Performance Boost

The integration of GSI into urban design offers a future where nature-based solutions work hand-in-hand with technology, helping the Ala Wai Watershed become more resilient, sustainable, and community-driven.

Your input is essential to shaping the future of the Ala Wai Watershed. The Ola Waikīkī survey was designed to ensure that community perspectives were at the heart of restoration efforts, making green stormwater infrastructure (GSI) solutions more effective, sustainable, and responsive to local needs.

By filling out the survey, participants had the opportunity to:

• Directly Influence Environmental Action Their responses helped prioritize projects that addressed real concerns, from flooding and water pollution to the need for more green spaces.

• Ensure Community-Led Solutions Instead of relying solely on top-down decisions, the survey gave residents, businesses, schools, and organizations a voice in determining the best strategies for stormwater management and watershed restoration.

• Shape Public Investments in Green Infrastructure The feedback collected guided funding decisions for projects like rain gardens, bioswales, and permeable pavements, ensuring resources were allocated where they could have the most impact.

• Identify Barriers and Opportunities By highlighting community challenges—whether it was lack of awareness, space constraints, or maintenance concerns—the survey helped uncover ways to make green infrastructure more accessible and effective.

• Be Part of a Larger Movement for Change Participating in the survey wasn’t just about answering questions—it was about joining a growing effort to build a cleaner, healthier, and more resilient Ala Wai Watershed for future generations.

Through this collective input, Ola Waikīkī ensured that environmental restoration was not just about installing infrastructure, but about building a community-driven vision for a sustainable future.

The Ola Waikīkī Initiative Mini-Grants supported innovative, small-scale pilot projects that advanced green stormwater infrastructure (GSI) in the Ala Wai Watershed. These grants empowered community members, organizations, and researchers to implement practical solutions that reduced stormwater runoff, improved water quality, and contributed to a more resilient urban environment.

Through this program, we aimed to:

• Promote Green Stormwater Infrastructure Encouraged the adoption of nature-based solutions such as rain gardens, bioswales, permeable pavements, and water catchment systems to manage stormwater effectively.

• Reduce Pollution in the Ala Wai Watershed Funded projects that helped filter contaminants, reduce sediment runoff, and improve the health of local waterways, including the Ala Wai Canal.

• Foster Community Engagement and Education Empowered residents, schools, and organizations to take an active role in watershed stewardship through hands-on projects and knowledge-sharing.

• Pilot Scalable Solutions Tested and showcased small-scale GSI projects that served as models for future, larger-scale implementation across Honolulu.

• Enhance Climate Resilience Addressed the impacts of climate change, including increased flooding and rising sea levels, by integrating sustainable water management practices into urban planning.

By investing in these efforts, the Ola Waikīkī Mini-Grants helped build a healthier, more sustainable future for both the watershed and the communities that depend on it.

Partnerships and collaboration form the foundation of the Ola Waikīkī initiative, ensuring the restoration of the Ala Wai Watershed is a truly collective effort. The project brings together a wide range of stakeholders, including government agencies, academic institutions, non-profits, and community groups, all working in unison to build a more resilient and sustainable watershed.

• University of Hawai’i Sea Grant College Program: Leading the Ola Waikīkī initiative, the University of Hawai’i Sea Grant facilitates research, educational outreach, and community engagement. Their role is pivotal in connecting scientific expertise with real-world solutions that benefit the watershed and its communities.
• NOAA (National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration): As a key federal partner, NOAA supports initiatives focused on coastal resilience, climate adaptation, and ecosystem restoration within the watershed, contributing valuable resources and expertise to the project.
• City and County of Honolulu: The local government is a crucial partner in integrating green stormwater infrastructure into urban planning. They play a significant role in policy development, funding, and implementing public works projects that align with the goals of Ola Waikīkī.
• Hawai’i Green Growth: This organization works closely with local communities and stakeholders to promote sustainability across the state. Their involvement in the Ala Wai Watershed Collaboration has helped shape the vision for a resilient watershed that balances environmental, social, and economic priorities.

• Community Organizations: Local groups, such as Protect Our Ala Wai Watershed (POAWW), play an active role in advocating for nature-based solutions and ensuring that community voices are integrated into the decision-making process. These groups are instrumental in organizing volunteer efforts, educational outreach, and public meetings, fostering strong connections between the watershed’s residents and the initiative.
• Cross-Sector Collaborations: The project emphasizes cross-sector collaboration, where private businesses, local residents, non-profits, and government entities work together on pilot projects and green infrastructure installations. These partnerships ensure that the benefits of restoration efforts are shared widely, creating a sense of ownership and shared responsibility across the entire community.

Through these partnerships, Ola Waikīkī harnesses the collective knowledge, resources, and passion of its stakeholders. The collaboration allows for a holistic approach to restoring the Ala Wai Watershed, where scientific research, policy initiatives, and grassroots community actions all align toward a common goal: building a watershed that is resilient to environmental challenges, such as flooding and pollution, and that enhances the quality of life for its residents.

The Ola Waikīkī initiative is committed to ensuring the long-term health and resilience of the Ala Wai Watershed by integrating sustainable practices and forward-thinking strategies into all phases of restoration. As the project evolves, future plans focus on scaling up green stormwater infrastructure, fostering community ownership, and adapting to climate change impacts.

The goal is to create a self-sustaining watershed that balances environmental health with urban development. Future plans include expanding successful pilot projects across the entire watershed and ensuring green stormwater infrastructure becomes a standard part of urban planning in Honolulu. This involves increasing the number of rain gardens, permeable pavements, and bioswales throughout the watershed to manage stormwater at its source and protect water quality.

A key focus of future efforts is building resilience to the effects of climate change, including rising sea levels and more frequent, intense storms. Nature-based solutions, such as wetland restoration and the reintroduction of native vegetation, will be prioritized to act as natural buffers against flooding and erosion. These strategies not only mitigate environmental risks but also enhance the cultural and ecological value of the watershed.

Sustainability is at the core of the future plans for Ola Waikīkī. The initiative aims to foster lasting community stewardship by continuing to support educational programs, volunteer opportunities, and mini-grants that empower residents to take ownership of their watershed. Engaging the next generation of leaders and environmental advocates ensures that the values of sustainability and resilience are ingrained in the community for decades to come.

To ensure the long-term success of green infrastructure initiatives, the project seeks to collaborate with local government and policymakers to integrate sustainable water management practices into city planning regulations. This includes advocating for policies that support nature-based solutions and encouraging incentives for businesses and homeowners to adopt green infrastructure on their properties.

Continuous monitoring of water quality, flood risks, and the effectiveness of green infrastructure projects will remain a priority. Data collected from these efforts will guide future decisions, allowing for adaptive management strategies that respond to emerging environmental challenges. By fostering a culture of learning and adaptation, Ola Waikīkī ensures that the watershed remains resilient in the face of changing conditions.

The long-term vision for the Ala Wai Watershed is one of sustainability, where natural processes and human development coexist harmoniously, creating a resilient, thriving environment for both nature and the community.