Who is M. Kaleo Manuel? Hawaiian official under fire over refusal to release water for raging Maui fires

A state official from Hawaii named M. Kaleo Manuel, who is responsible for handling all water resources, has come under fire recently when people discovered that he was responsible for the delay in water release to combat the Maui fires.

M. Kaleo Manuel, who happens to be the deputy director of the Department of Land and Natural Resources Commission on Water Resource Management, is responsible for all water-related decisions in the state of Hawaii.

One of Hawaii’s largest islands, Maui experienced a devastating wildfire on August 8. Since then, over a hundred people have lost their lives and public and private properties such as lands, businesses, and residences have been completely destroyed, primarily in the western region called Lahaina.

While state and national officials reported that the fire was caused by dry, drought-like conditions worsened by severely strong winds brought forth by Category 4 Hurricane Dora, the internet came up with its own conspiracy theories.

Some believed that the blazes were a result of an energy weapon/ laser beam launch, while others speculate the flames were deliberately set by elites and real estate investors who wanted to grab lands worth millions of dollars from the natives, who otherwise refuse to sell them.

So far, the real cause behind the fire still remains unknown and no real evidence has been found to support the aforementioned theories.

On August 16, an old video of a state water official named M. Kaleo Manuel surfaced on social media, proving that he considered water "holy" and primarily meant for traditional practices. Since then, the internet speculated that this was the real reason behind refusing the immediate release of water even after repeated pleas from local landowners to protect their properties from the flames.

In fact, the water standoff occurred all throughout that fateful day and was only resolved when it was too late.

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M. Kaleo Manuel is currently serving his second term as the deputy director

According to the official website of Hawaii’s Department of Land and Natural Resources (DLNR), M. Kaleo Manuel is the deputy director of the Commission on Water Resource Management. His duties include administering and implementing the State Water Code (created in 1987) and all other water-related guidelines as directed by the Commission.

M. Kaleo Manuel was born and raised in Hawaii and currently lives on the island of Manoa, in O’ahu. He is serving his second term as the deputy director at present and was first appointed by the Chairperson (following the approval of the majority of the Commission) of the Department of Land and Natural Resources in January 2019, as per M. Kaleo Manuel's LinkedIn profile.

A graduate (B.A.) in Hawaiian Studies and a postgraduate in Urban and Regional Planning, both from the University of Hawaii at Manoa, M. Kaleo Manuel has previously served as the Planning Program Manager at the state’s Department of Hawaiian Home Lands for nearly a decade.

He began his career as a professional planner at the same department in May 2009. Besides the above-mentioned degrees, M. Kaleo Manuel also holds a Graduate Certificate in Historic Preservation from the same university.

Over the years, M. Kaleo Manuel's focus has been on water advocacy and management in Hawaii. He also endorses various fields such as land use, GIS, environmental policy, community development, cultural resource management, natural resource management, Hawaiian language and historic preservation, and strategic planning.

M. Kaleo Manuel is one of the 200 inaugural Obama leaders representing the Asia-Pacific zone with the Obama Foundation.

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Netizens criticize M. Kaleo Manuel for his water standoff in the wake of Maui fires

As per the news outlet Honolulu Civil Beat, M. Kaleo Manuel delayed the release of water on August 8 even after knowing that western Maui was burning down as there was a long-standing dispute between his office (Department of Land and Natural Resources Commission on Water Resource Management) and West Maui Land Co. which is responsible for managing agricultural and residential subdivisions in West Maui.

In fact, when the latter requested DLNR to approve the emergency release of water to fight the fires, it was the deputy director M. Kaleo Manuel who went on a water standoff.

The media source cites that Manuel demanded that the West Maui Land Co. get permission from a ‘taro’ (also called ‘kalo’), which happens to be a native Hawaiian traditional farm located downstream from the company’s property and used water as its main cultural resource.

Eventually, the permission was granted and Manuel gave a green signal to the release of water, but by then the fire had spread too far and destroyed everything in its way.

Another source called Raw Story also reported how West Maui Land Co. was not the only company that requested the release of water, there were others including Launiupoko Irrigation Co., Launiupoko Water Co., Olowalu Water Co., and Ha’iku Town Water Association. All of them were refused by Manuel, even though none of them had any disputes with DLNR, unlike West Maui Land Co.

As soon as this news circulated on the internet, netizens dragged Manuel through the mud. Not only that, but they have also dug out an old video where Manuel talks about how water should be revered and not used.

“My motto has always been: let water connect us, not divide us,” he is heard saying in the viral footage.

Social media users have pointed out how he did not live up to his words from the video and refused to release water during a calamity, thus calling him out for his hypocrisy. Here are some of the reactions from X (formerly Twitter) against M. Kaleo Manuel.

So far, M. Kaleo Manuel has not commented on his move that is now being criticized, nor on the online backlash. In fact, his office issued a statement to the press on Monday, August 14, that he was busy responding to the state’s emergency and was “unable to facilitate any inquiry at this time.”

In contrast, Governor Josh Green encouraged the press during Monday’s media conference to explore the Hawaiian water conflicts that have been ongoing for years.

Interestingly, in 2022, two Maui senators Gil Keith-Agaran and Lynne DeCoite introduced a bill to push DLNR to allow fresh water to fight blazes during the fire season. Unfortunately, the bill died in the absence of any proper hearing.