Report on Coastal Flooding on Hawaiʻi’s Big Island: An SDG Perspective

Incident Summary

• Date of Report: July 25, 2025
• Location: Coastal areas of the Big Island, Hawaiʻi
• Event: Minor coastal flooding resulting from afternoon high tides exceeding predictions by approximately 0.5 feet. This event has been ongoing since Monday.
• Causative Factors: A convergence of peaking monthly high tides and elevated sea levels.

Analysis of Impacts through the Lens of Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs)

• SDG 13: Climate Action
  • The incident of elevated water levels serves as a direct indicator of the escalating impacts of climate change, aligning with the urgency of Target 13.1 to strengthen resilience and adaptive capacity to climate-related hazards and natural disasters.
  • Such events underscore the critical necessity for robust climate adaptation strategies in vulnerable small island developing states.
• SDG 11: Sustainable Cities and Communities
  • Coastal flooding directly threatens community safety and infrastructure, including roadways and low-lying residential areas, highlighting challenges related to Target 11.5 on significantly reducing the impact of water-related disasters.
  • Advisories to relocate vehicles and valuables emphasize the need for community preparedness and resilient infrastructure planning to protect economic assets.
  • The potential for coastal erosion threatens the physical integrity of coastal settlements and cultural sites.
• SDG 14: Life Below Water
  • Saltwater inundation of normally dry beaches and coastal zones can disrupt fragile coastal ecosystems, a concern central to Target 14.2 on sustainably managing and protecting marine and coastal ecosystems.
  • The recommendation to rinse vehicles post-exposure to saltwater is a preventative measure against chemical and saline runoff into the marine environment, supporting Target 14.1 on preventing and significantly reducing marine pollution of all kinds.

Recommended Actions for Community Resilience and Environmental Protection

In response to the flooding, the following mitigation and safety measures were advised to the public, aligning with principles of sustainable living and disaster risk reduction:

1. Infrastructure and Asset Protection:
   • Avoid traversing flooded roadways to ensure personal safety and prevent damage to vehicles and public infrastructure.
   • Relocate electronics, vehicles, and other valuable assets from low-lying coastal areas to higher ground.
2. Environmental Stewardship:
   • Rinse vehicles with fresh water after contact with saltwater to mitigate corrosion and prevent contaminated runoff from entering local watersheds and the ocean.
3. Marine Asset Management:
   • Monitor vessel mooring lines to prevent damage from excessive tension during tidal surges.
   • Secure canoes and other watercraft to prevent them from being washed away, which would contribute to marine debris.

Prognosis and Collaborative Data Collection for SDG Monitoring

• Forecast: Tide levels are projected to recede below elevated thresholds during the weekend, providing temporary relief from the immediate hazard.
• Citizen Science Initiative: The public is encouraged to contribute to climate data collection by submitting photos of coastal flooding to the University of Hawai‘i Sea Grant College Program’s Hawai‘i and Pacific Islands King Tides Project. This initiative directly supports the monitoring of climate impacts (SDG 13) and enhances community engagement in scientific processes that inform sustainable coastal management (SDG 11, SDG 14).

Analysis of Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) in the Article

1. Which SDGs are addressed or connected to the issues highlighted in the article?

• SDG 11: Sustainable Cities and Communities
• SDG 13: Climate Action
• SDG 14: Life Below Water

2. What specific targets under those SDGs can be identified based on the article’s content?

SDG 11: Sustainable Cities and Communities

• Target 11.5: By 2030, significantly reduce the number of deaths and the number of people affected and substantially decrease the direct economic losses relative to global gross domestic product caused by disasters, including water-related disasters, with a focus on protecting the poor and people in vulnerable situations.
  
  Explanation: The article discusses a water-related disaster (coastal flooding) and its impact on coastal communities. The public advisories to “Move electronics, vehicles or other valuables to higher ground” and to “avoid driving through flooded roadways” are direct measures to reduce economic losses and protect people affected by the flooding.

SDG 13: Climate Action

• Target 13.1: Strengthen resilience and adaptive capacity to climate-related hazards and natural disasters in all countries.
  
  Explanation: The article describes a climate-related hazard, where high tides are exacerbated by “elevated water levels,” a phenomenon linked to climate change-induced sea-level rise. The community’s response, guided by the National Weather Service, such as securing “canoes or other watercraft stowed on beaches” and monitoring “mooring lines,” demonstrates efforts to build resilience and adapt to these events.
• Target 13.3: Improve education, awareness-raising and human and institutional capacity on climate change mitigation, adaptation, impact reduction and early warning.
  
  Explanation: The National Weather Service’s forecast acts as an early warning system. The public advisory serves to raise awareness and build human capacity to respond to the flood threat. Furthermore, the “University of Hawai‘i Sea Grant College Program’s Hawai‘i and Pacific Islands King Tides Project” encourages public participation by asking for photo submissions, which contributes to data collection, education, and awareness about the impacts of climate change.

SDG 14: Life Below Water

• Target 14.2: By 2020, sustainably manage and protect marine and coastal ecosystems to avoid significant adverse impacts, including by strengthening their resilience, and take action for their restoration in order to achieve healthy and productive oceans.
  
  Explanation: The article explicitly states that “Erosion in coastal locations also could be an issue” and that “Beaches that are normally dry could be flooded out.” These events represent significant adverse impacts on coastal ecosystems, highlighting the need for protection and management strategies.

3. Are there any indicators mentioned or implied in the article that can be used to measure progress towards the identified targets?

Indicators for Target 11.5

• Implied Indicator: Direct economic loss attributed to disasters.
  
  Explanation: The article implies the measurement of economic loss by advising residents to protect “electronics, vehicles or other valuables” and warning motorists to “rinse their vehicle with fresh water” after driving through saltwater to prevent damage. Preventing this damage is a way of reducing economic loss.
• Implied Indicator: Number of people affected by disasters.
  
  Explanation: The article describes the population at risk as those who “live or are staying near the shoreline or a low-lying coastal area,” implying that tracking the number of people in these zones who are impacted by flooding is a relevant metric.

Indicators for Target 13.1 & 13.3

• Implied Indicator: Number of countries/communities with national and local disaster risk reduction strategies. (Relates to Indicator 13.1.2)
  
  Explanation: The coordinated response involving the “National Weather Service office in Honolulu” issuing forecasts and public advisories demonstrates the existence of a local disaster risk reduction strategy.
• Mentioned Indicator: Public data collection on climate impacts.
  
  Explanation: The article explicitly mentions a mechanism for monitoring and data collection through the “University of Hawai‘i Sea Grant College Program’s Hawai‘i and Pacific Islands King Tides Project,” which invites the public to “submit coastal flooding photos.” This citizen science initiative serves as a direct indicator of efforts to raise awareness and gather data on climate-related hazards.

Indicators for Target 14.2

• Implied Indicator: Changes in the extent of coastal ecosystems.
  
  Explanation: The article’s mention of “Erosion in coastal locations” and “saltwater inundation” of normally dry beaches implies that measuring the physical extent and health of these coastal areas is a key indicator. The photo submission project provides a qualitative, and potentially quantitative, way to track these changes over time.

4. Summary Table of SDGs, Targets, and Indicators

Source: bigislandnow.com