Hawaiʻi is on the frontlines of climate change, facing rising sea levels, stronger storms, prolonged droughts, and threats to biodiversity and food security. These challenges disproportionately impact vulnerable communities and demand urgent, coordinated action. Given shifts in federal policies and funding, it is critical for Hawaiʻi to maximize all available resources through strengthened collaboration across islands, sectors, and levels of government.

Vibrant Hawaiʻi’s model of convening cross-sector forums and coordinating Resilience Hub networks on Hawaiʻi Island and in the Koʻolau region of O’ahu provides a framework for collective action. By making this framework available to organizations statewide, the Vibrant Hawai‘i Resilience Network can actively design partnerships between local organizations, state agencies, businesses, and community leaders and develop resilient, place-based solutions that are grounded in native intelligence.

To ensure these plans are effectively implemented, we will support the training and resourcing of key disaster response Emergency Support Functions, including communications and information sharing, mass care, transportation, and public health. This will involve equipping Resilience Hubs across the state with the tools and knowledge needed to coordinate response efforts, strengthening community-based emergency networks, and advocating for policies that ensure sustained investment in local resilience.

Through these targeted actions, we will build a network of self-sustaining, climate-resilient communities and a unified voice advocating for equitable policies and funding, securing a more sustainable future for Hawaiʻi.