HONOLULU — Global warming will likely stress Hawaii’s fresh water supplies.
HONOLULU — Global warming will likely stress Hawaii’s fresh water supplies.
East-West Center Research Fellow Victoria Keener says rising sea levels are expected to push salt water into aquifers that store the state’s drinking water.
A drop in rainfall will also mean less recharging of these aquifers.
Keener says this would be more of a slow-moving disaster than a dramatic giant storm. She says the drought parts of the state have experienced in recent years could become more intense.
This is one scenario discussed in the new National Climate Assessment being released Tuesday. The report has a chapter on how a warming planet will affect Hawaii and Pacific islands affiliated with the U.S.
A panel of experts will be discussing the report’s findings at the East-West Center on Tuesday.