The continuing Red Hill saga and Ka‘eo Duarte’s recent appeal to “Protect Hawaii’s water supply before it’s too late” bring needed attention to the urgency and challenges of ensuring water security (Star-Advertiser, Island Voices, Aug.7). Optimizing recharge, prudent use and future abundance involves multiparty, inter-disciplinary issues that cut across myriad agencies and public/private interests.

Here are four priority action areas that will increase our water supply, modernize essential infrastructure and catalyze co-investment from diverse sources.

>> Protect and manage Hawaii’s forested watersheds. Mauka forests are the source of Hawaii’s fresh water. Watershed partnerships have formed across the state, but erratic funding compromises the efficacy of these voluntary agreements between public and private landowners. Funding should be increased and sustained to not simply delay the inevitable impacts of existential threats, but produce compelling and enduring returns. A University of Hawaii Economic Research Organization (UHERO) study estimated that investing $43.2 million in watershed restoration in the Koolau mountains alone could result in over $900 million in realized water value for Oahu.

>> Renovate dams and reservoirs. Most reservoirs are privately owned, unlined, not maintained to current safety standards, and more liabilities than assets for the owners. Many have been decommissioned or are operated at reduced capacities. Public/private investments can address safety concerns, provide flood control and energy, capture episodic deluges and store water for agriculture and recreation. Reservoirs should have intakes that can be opened in real time to divert and capture water during storm events and closed to limit diversion and ensure streamflow through extended dry periods.

>> Improve efficiency of irrigation systems. Most surface water delivery systems are ancient, inefficient, privately owned, and not designed for our changing climate. Losses from open ditches and leaky infrastructure typically exceed 20%, often by a lot! These systems need to be piped, lined and patched. Modernized infrastructure will benefit our agricultural economy, as well as constitutionally-protected public trust requirements of ecosystems, traditional cultural practices, Department of Hawaiian Homelands, drinking water and food production. All have cause to make proportional contributions to defray costs.

>> Increase gaging and monitoring. It is difficult to manage what is not measured. An unpredictable climate requires consistent and comprehensive gathering and analysis of water data. More gaging stations, monitoring wells and reporting from private users are needed to inform sound decision-making. The state Water Commission and county agencies should be provided sufficient staffing to implement Hawaii’s progressive water laws.

In 2016, the Fresh Water Council recommended a pilot Natural Capital Investment Partnership to leverage state funds with federal, county and private dollars. The goal was to amass, coordinate and unleash public and private resources. This was a good idea six years ago and a better one today.

Watershed partnerships have proven that collaborative funding works. We should now broaden the spectrum of financial tools to include grants, loans, guarantees, and interest subsidies … investments seeking a blend of outcomes, as well as capital expecting commercial returns. Capital improvement bonds could be deployed to create a water security project fund that enables government appropriation to pay for societal benefits and private capital to finance impacts that generate business revenue streams or land value appreciation.

The risks of doing nothing are enormous. The Red Hill fuel leak and the climate change-induced water crisis unfolding around the globe offer potent reminders of the human, economic and environmental harms of dramatic reduction in fresh water supply. These alarming circumstances demand innovative strategies that braid streams of capital to make long-needed projects viable.

We call upon political officials, as well as business and community leaders to invest cooperatively and equitably in the water needed to support our existence. Ola i ka wai!

Michael Buck is a retired state forester/wildlife director and a Commission on Water Resources Management member; Neil Hannahs is CEO of Hoʻokele Strategies LLC and a water commission member; En Young is executive director of the Pacific Gateway Center and a Hawaii Board of Agriculture director.