The social and cultural values of groundwater-dependent ecosystems (EDG) on the west coast of Hawaii Island have been described in a new article published in Ecology & Society by the University of Hawaii among the researchers of Mānoa.
Through interviews with 19 direct line descendants and resource managers, researchers found that EDG have profound social and cultural value, in part because of their historical significance as a major water source and important role in Kona’s food production systems.
Researchers have also become aware of significant threats to EDG, including invasive species, sea level rise, nutrient pollution, overexploitation, reduced groundwater flow and urban development. Some threats can be addressed at the individual manager level, while others require political action at the state and county level.
A Kanaka ʻŌiwi direct descendant said, “As with most Hawaii, our sacred and/or special places are seeing more people, exposure, commodification and, at times, destruction. In today’s society of social media and Instagram celebrities, I see cases where people are willing to go to extremes in order to “take the photo” that will get them the most likes even if they don’t. they may not be aware of the negative impact. they may have on these places or these people.
Respondents expressed their vision of restoration EDG for ecological and social functions, and stressed that the restoration of cultural practices, well-being and identity is essential. They said managers continue to deal with threats over which they have most direct control, such as the presence of invasive guppies, but they also stressed the importance of devolving decision-making power to local resource managers and to explore models of community governance.
Respondents also suggested limiting visitors to allow the “rest” of EDG, and the creation of a fee system to finance docents for education and maintenance. To prepare for sea level rise, others suggested leaving space for the creation of new EDG interior.
“The Indigenous peoples of Kona have a long history of resilience and adaptation that is essential to successfully meeting the challenges of EDG management,” according to the researchers. “Faced with many interrelated challenges, the Kona community is at the forefront of combining Indigenous knowledge and resource management practices with contemporary technology to EDG restoration. Supporting local resource managers, cultural practitioners, and Linear Descendants in achieving these goals by reorienting governance and funding towards community management will be critical to the long-term ecological and social health of these important systems.
The authors of the study are:
UHERO is located in uh Mānoa College of Social Sciences. For more information, see UHEROthe website of.
