Wildfire Reduction Through Wetland Restoration

Wildfires have devastating impacts on communities and the natural environment in Hawaiʻi, but nature can help reduce this risk. Aquatic habitats such as wetlands, rivers, and streams increase the fire resilience of an area and reduce the risk to people in the Wildland Urban Interface (WUI), where residents are at a higher risk of catastrophic wildfire due to their proximity to lands surrounded by highly flammable vegetation. Planning work is needed to identify where wildfire risk to communities intersects with wetland restoration potential, including loʻi and other aquatic agriculture.