Ka Wai Ola - Office of Hawaiian Affairs, Volume 33, Number 5, 1 May 2016 — The lmportance of Hawaiʻiʻs Rain [ARTICLE+ILLUSTRATION]

The lmportance of Hawaiʻiʻs Rain

Aserious health eoneem is developing and we need to pay attention to it. Over the last few months, news articles have raised eoneem about Hawai'i's unusually dry weather. Just think about it, the rainy seasons were dry in most areas of our state in both 2014 and 2015. When there was rain, it was mostly light showers that passed by quickly. Many areas in Hawai'i are currently experiencing drought eonditions and several other areas are very dry. As evidence of the sever-

ity of conditions, sporadic wild fires have burned across the state in recent weeks. This trend predicts a rough summer ahead for us. Periods of hot, dry weather ean create a number of health ehallenges. Children, adults andkupuna with allergies, asthma and chronic pulmonary illnesses may suffer flare-ups that require medical treatment, even hospitalization. Heat exposure ean be very hard on them, as well. So parents and caregivers must provide extra drinking water and protection from sun and heat exposure. However, the greater eoncern is impending water shortages in the coming months. You see, a drought in Hawai'i means more than dried lawns and shrinking foliage, it means diminishing drinking water sources, as well. O'ahu water wells have been heavily taxed by higher usage and the extraordinarily dry weather. Our

resident population keeps growing, and large numbers of tourists arrive on our shores every day...more than ever before. Thus, the number of people who rely on O'ahu water sources is constantly expanding while the number of O'ahu aquifers and wells remain unchanged. Neighbor islands have similar fresh water limitations, too. Replenishing well water depends on rains. Rain must percolate slowly through soil and rock into the artesian wells, being available as drinking water in about 25 years. That means that the good, heavy rainfalls on Oahu's Ko'olauloa mountains in 2015 will assure water in about 2040. The wells and water sources on our neighbor-islands are experiencing these same challenges. While none of us ean make it rain, we ean work to conserve this precious resource. In other words,

we MUST think about conserving water, constantly ... doing it eonsciousīy and

consistently. A list of water eonservation tips (above) will help alleviate some stresses on our state-

wide sources of drinking water.

We must commit to doing t h e s e

every day. In addition, we must

immediately report all malfunctioning or broken sprinklers or water lines in our eommunities. On O'ahu, The Board of Water Supply's 24-hour trouble line is 748-5000, extension 1. According to the Hawaiian ealendar, it will be six months before the annual rains arrive. In October to November, 'Ikuwā is a time of thunder and lightning, and in November to December, Weīehu

is a time of swirling winds. The Hawaiian calendar reflects our ancestors' reliance on rain for their crops. February to March is Kaulua ("indecisive," or of two minds), referring to the alternatively warm and cold weather, so mahi 'ai (farmers) were uncertain about working outdoors, or staying indoors. March to April is Nana ("animation") and is when nature is in full animation and plant life begins to show vigor. April to May is Welo, when vines of sweet potatoes, yams, morning glory and other creepers send out little shoots, like tails. May to June is Ikiiki ("uncomfortably warm and sticky"), describing the discomfort of being in high humidity with little breeze. June to July is Ka'aona (ka'a, "rolling along" and ona, "pleasantly") describing nature during early summer. July to August is Hinaia 'eīe 'eīe, whieh describes dark clouds (" hina-ia ") that ineline mountain-ward, bringing occasional showers to ripen mountain apples. The final months of the year are August to September, Māhoe Mua ("the first twin") and September to October, Māhoe Hope ("the twin coming after"). And then Ho 'ilo, the winter season, begins. ■

<M ALAMA AINA v www.oha.org/kwo | kwo@OHA.org CARING F0RTHE LAND / NATIVE HAWAIIAN » NEWS | FEATURES | EVENTS

Water Conservation Tips

We are facing a serious water shortage throughout the islands this summer. Rains have been few and unusually light over the last year. Without mueh effort we ean eonserve this precious resource by:

•Turning off faucets while shaving, brushing teeth and washing dishes. • Using a nozzle with shut-off val ve on garden hoses when washing cars. • Watering gardens in the evening or early

morning. • Sweeping (not hosing down) driveways and walkways. • lnstalling flow restrictors in showers and faucets. • Takingshortershowers, ratherthan filling the tub, and • Washing only full loads of laundry. lllustration - Nebon Gaspar

By Claire Ku'uleilani Hughes, Dr. PH„ R.D.