Guåhan 2050 Sustainability Plan

Guam’s population is beginning to grow faster again, driven by quickly expanding federal military facilities. According to the United Nations, current projections show Guam’s population increasing by 14% by 2050. This growth will entail new housing and demands on Guam’s infrastructure, social services, and environment. How should Guam manage this growth? Where should new housing be built and will it be affordable for all of our residents? What will happen to the aquifer that provides most of Guam’s drinking water? How will the increase in traffic be managed? How can this new growth be balanced with protection of Guam’s special environment?

Sustainable growth means that all of Guam’s residents have access to safe, affordable housing with adequate water supplies, sewer, roads, and power. Future growth should also be directed to the already-urbanized areas of the island, and to its village centers, where services exist. This has the added benefit of protection the remaining natural resources and open spaces of Guam. Climate change is bringing more extreme and unpredictable rainfall. Housing should be safe from flooding, and be served with adequate drainage. Everyone should be secure from future typhoons and tropical storms. Achieving these goals requires planning — thinking about how the future could unfold and directing it in ways that benefit the entire community. But this also requires balance, and trade-offs with other community values.

Guam needs an economy that is resilient and that works for everyone. Tourism will continue to be an vital force sustaining the economy, but it should be supported in the right places and appropriate scales, especially in the southern villages. Guam also will continue to be an important part of U.S. security and stability in the Pacific region. The federal military expansion is providing jobs and critical investment in the services that support growth and development — maybe more than $7 billion in the next five years! But Guam’s economy should also be diverse and provide new opportunities. Small-scale agriculture, coastal economies such as fishing and recreational activity, and village-scale markets, could all play a role in shared wealth for Guam’s residents. The Sustainability Plan may provide for these, while also assuring that economic development supports village life, efficient transportation, and protection of the environment.

From ridge to reef, Guam’s environment is special and unique. But protecting this ecological value, including for future generations, requires a commitment to preserving its most sensitive areas, balancing development with conservation, and restoration of places that have suffered in the past. The Sustainability Plan can provide direction for finding this balance so that species found nowhere else in the world can continue to exist. Guam’s limestone forest is unique, and only a small amount remains. The plan can also assure that new development doesn’t cause excessive erosion that drives sediment to the island’s coastal waters and sensitive fringing reefs. And Guam’s remaining open spaces and natural lands provide important recreational areas for people, for use, enjoyment, and relaxation. These places should be preserved for everyone!

The CHamoru culture is strong, enduring despite the injustices of Guam’s colonial past. The Sustainability Plan can play a role in supporting Guam’s island culture. It can direct that cultural sites and resources be protected and restored. It can also guide new development to the places that make sense for the small-scale character of Guam’s less urban villages, at scales that fit with with landscape. In some places, special design and architectural styles can be used to promote cultural appreciation and heritage. Guam is also multi-cultural, and welcoming to all who want to visit and appreciate its intrinsic value. The plan can provide for a diverse economy, engaging public spaces, and vital recreational spaces for cultural expression.

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