Clean Water
Ola i ka wai: Water is life. Clean and healthy water is fundamental for sustaining life in Hawaiʻi and beyond. Read on to learn about ISR's research related to clean water protection and conservation.
Return on Investment for Watershed Protection on Kaua‘i
Co-developed with The Nature Conservancy and the University of Hawaii Economic Research Organization, this study quantified the hydrological benefits of native forest protection across sixteen conservation areas within the Kaua‘i Watershed Alliance. The analysis estimated the return on investment for watershed conservation, finding that existing fence units save an average of 593 gallons of groundwater recharge per dollar invested over a 50-year horizon. These results highlight the critical value of long-term conservation planning, demonstrating how initial front-loaded costs for fencing and ungulate removal generate compounding water security benefits over time.