$2.2M grant supports second phase of Maui wildfires impact study

HONOLULU (HawaiiNewsNow) – A $2.2 million grant will help researchers at the University of Hawaii at Manoa study the long-term impacts of the 2023 Maui wildfires.

Read more Search for father-son hikers off Hanauma Bay Ridge Trail to resume Wednesday

The three-year funding award from the National Institutes of Health will allow researchers to survey 1,200 people who were living on Maui during the wildfires, including those who were displaced.

Their goal is to examine factors that influence long-term recovery and disaster response in order to better inform public policy, emergency response planning, health services and community recovery efforts in Hawai‘i and nationwide.

Read more Hearing concerns, city to relocate newly opened Chinatown bus stop

“Recovery is not the same for everyone. We hope to understand how these factors evolve over time and vary across different populations as communities continue to rebuild,” said project co-lead Keawe Kaholokula, chair and professor in the Department of Native Hawaiian Health at the John A. Burns School of Medicine.

The survey is part of the second phase of the Maui LOA (Learnings to Overcome Adversities) study. The initial phase gathered perspectives from residents, community organizations, emergency responders and health care providers to understand the physical and mental health impacts of the wildfires.

Read more Maui Planning Commission defers decision on Makena State Park improvements