For the past two years, I've been writing in this blog about the need to establish better shoreline setback requirements on Oahu because there was evidence that wherever homes are allowed to be built closer to the ocean, erosion of beaches happens at a faster rate. This week studies were released that confirmed what I and others have been warning about.
However, it's not just sea walls and homeowners purposely growing plants like naupaka to grab more beach land that is causing our beaches to erode. Some of it can be linked to rising sea levels and climate change. Whatever the cause, it seems the best antidote is for our State and county government officials to establish stronger setback rule. There should be none of this nonsense about allowing current homeowners to rebuild CLOSER to the beach as is the case in Kailua at the moment. In the past two years, I've seen at least a half dozen houses that were demolished, then built from the ground floor up as close to the ocean as legally possible.
Here's links to stories that go into more detail about the study:
Honolulu Star-Advertiser article
KITV News Report
USGS Study
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