Much of the public discussion of the Kaloko Reservoir dam breach has focused on blame. While this type of discussion may eventually make some lawyers wealthier, we should instead be focusing on the underlying causes, rather than who happened to be the landowner at the time, or whether state officials had properly monitored the dam.

The underlying cause of this disaster centers on the historic manipulation of water in the state and poor land-use practices — particularly, inappropriately developing lands zoned for agriculture.

We are in a third era of transforming the rural landscapes of Hawai'i. The first came with Hawaiian settlement, when some lowland areas were cleared for agriculture and village use. The second era came with the rise of plantation agriculture and large-scale ranching in the 19th century. These changes were much more massive than those caused by Hawaiian settlement, with entire landscapes transformed from forests into farms, and streams diverted for profit. One measure of this change is that 95 percent of Hawai'i's perennial streams have been diverted at least once.

The third era, where we are today, is the post-plantation period. Laid on the disfigured landscape left by plantation agriculture, lands are being transformed into what are essentially urban uses. Yet the basic infrastructure of the plantations — empty fields, irrigation systems and dams, such as the Kaloko Reservoir dam, remain. This is the essential cause of the Kaloko disaster — we have allowed the counties to allow urban uses such as "gentlemen's estates" to spread across land unsuited for that use, and in doing so, we have placed people in harm's way. Post-plantation land use and zoning needs must be addressed so our communities are not put in danger by poorly situated development.

Of course, it isn't supposed to be this way. Hawai'i actually has some of the most far-reaching and progressive land- and water-use laws in the United States. Our Land Use Commission was created in part to prevent sprawling development. Similarly, the state Commission on Water Resources Management was created to balance the need for consumptive uses of water with the obligation of the state to protect public trust values in water.

After many years of struggle, both of these agencies have done well in many cases, preventing the wholesale conversion of agricultural land and standing up for free-flowing streams. Yet under the relentless pressure of development, each agency also has struggled to fulfill its mandates. It has been politically expedient at times to underfund and understaff these agencies, so some bad developments go through, and century-old irrigation systems are allowed to continue to divert water from streams, even when there is no productive use for the waters.

Strangely enough, however, we are at a crossroads. While the mud is still wet on Kaua'i, our political leaders are heading in the opposite direction in terms of supporting these key agencies.

Three key initiatives demonstrate how promises made to the voters are being breached faster than any dam: