West Maui: The Depletion Of Water

On the island of Maui, where I am from, one wicked problem that has existed for decades is the diversion of water from streams for commercial farming and hotel water supply. For decades, the Hawaii Commercial and Sugar company has diverted water from streams in the West Maui mountains to sustain their crops and generate profit. Hotel corporations have also diverted water from these streams because they are located in a part of the island that does not receive adequate rain to supply water for tourists. Water diversions are detrimental because they deplete the water from these streams, which kills the species that inhabit them. One characteristic of a wicked problem that is present within this situation is that those involved do not agree on which problems to address. These corporations performing the diversions are focused on the issue of maintaining commercial farming and tourism in order to support the economy for the state of Hawaiʻi. …show more content…
The individuals in governmental positions that permit the diversion of water despite its environmental impacts reveals that they prioritize corporate profit over preserving their environment. Similarly, the Hawaiʻi Commercial and Sugar companyʻs diversion of alarming amounts of water in order to produce crops massively reveals their interest in financial gain. Rather than sharing the water with families who also farm to sustain themselves, they deny the community access to this public resource. Despite the concerns and demands expressed by the community, the government continues to grant diversion permits to these corporations. This issue is also geographical because Maui is an island with limited resources that people continue to exploit. The island suffers many environmental issues in addition to water depletion that require structural and social change in order to preserve its environment and