Hawaii's Famed White Sandy Beaches Are Shrinking

KAILUA, Hawaii - What's happening to portions of the beach in Kailua ?

A sunny coastal suburb of Honolulu where President Barack Obama spent his last two family vacations in the islands is being repeated around the Hawaiian Islands

Geologists say more than 70 percent of Kauai's beaches are eroding
While Oahu has lost a quarter of its sandy shoreline

They warn the problem is only likely to get significantly worse in coming decades
As global warming causes sea levels to rise more rapidly
The loss of so many beaches is an alarming prospect for Hawaii on many levels.
Many tourists come to Hawaii precisely because they want to lounge on
And walk along its soft sandy shoreline
These visitors spend some $11.4 billion each year, making tourism the state's largest employer
Disappearing sands would also wreak havoc on the environment
As many animals and plants would lose important habitats

Other causes include storms and human actions like the construction of seawalls, jetties
And the dredging of stream mouths
Each of these human actions disrupts the natural flow of sand
In 100 years - Sea levels are likely to be at least 1 meter, or 3.3 feet
Or higher than they are now, pushing the ocean inland along coastal areas
The same probably goes for shoreline next to highways or other critical public infrastructure Where seawalls already exist or may have to be built

LaVenDer