The Cultural and Natural Heritage of Kaho’olawe Island

“Kaho’olawe represents both the end result of human-influenced environmental degradation and the beginning of collaborative healing as a force to mend our planet’s damaged environments while restoring its people,” states the Kaho’olawe Island Reserve Commission Financial Self-Sufficiency and Sustainability Plan of December 2016. Kaho’olawe faces a paradoxical situation between being an island rich in cultural and natural values while facing significant natural and human-made destruction. Currently, bomb ordinances both still remain on land and sea and, due to significant wind and rain erosion, there is very little topsoil for vegetation growth. Kaho’olawe is directly impacted by climate change and has no fresh water access, impeding vegetation reforestation. This paper aims at investigating options to support its long-term restoration and resource management