He whakaneke a te hapori o Te Hāpua ki tētahi ara haumaru
Relocating Te Hāpua to safety as sea levels rise The relocation of marae communities at threat from rising seas is a deeply complex issue. The Far North coastal community of Te Hāpua is vulnerable to rising sea levels. We stand to lose significant taonga, including our wāhi tapu, our whare karakia, our whare kōhanga reo... Read more »...
Kai ora: Restoring local Māori food systems by restoring power to marae
Alongside three marae of the Southern Kaipara this research aims to explore local food systems and food sovereignty as a means of decolonial climate action. As researchers and public health advisors our primary role is to support the return of resources and power from western institutions back to whānau and to marae. This research aims... Read more »...
He Pā Mataora
Learning to live with the Living Pā He Pā Mataora will seize the rare opportunity afforded in the lead-up to the opening of Te Herenga Waka Victoria University of Wellington’s Living Pā building to explore the needs and challenges of moving an entire marae community into more climate adaptive and resilient practices. Our research will delve into... Read more »...
Infrastructure disruption from coastal flooding
National assessment of critical infrastructure network service disruption from future coastal flooding Climate-resilient infrastructure networks are essential for New Zealand’s long-term social and economic well-being. With rising sea levels New Zealand’s infrastructure becomes more exposed to coastal flooding. Previous research estimates that just 10cm of sea-level rise will expose an additional 130km of road, 360km... Read more »...
Supporting community wellbeing when water is scarce
A tool for visualising the impact of climate adaptation strategies, in relation to water security, on community wellbeing The uncertainty of climate change — what will happen to our homes, our jobs, our whānau, communities, and tāonga species — is, and will continue to have a profound influence on the wellbeing of New Zealanders. In... Read more »...
Climate change and the withdrawal of insurance
Slow and sudden onset thresholds for private insurance retreat under climate change in New Zealand Coastal hazards are escalating with climate change. In particular, coastal homeowners can expect both sea level rise and more frequent and intense coastal storms. However, we continue to see demand for housing through new coastal residential development and intensification of... Read more »...
Extreme weather, climate change & the EQC
Earthquakes might not yet be predictable, but increasingly, climate change is. Because of climate change, extreme weather events in New Zealand may be getting worse and happening more often. What does this mean for our state-owned provider of natural hazard insurance – the Earthquake Commission (EQC) – and for the communities and regions directly affected... Read more »...
How should the risks of sea-level rise be shared?
We are used to thinking of natural hazards as unpredictable, one-off events like earthquakes. And our legal and policy framework is set up for such sudden and unpredictable natural hazards. But sea-level rise policies should not be like natural hazard policies, because sea-level rise is locked in and gradual. Even if we stopped all greenhouse... Read more »...
National flood risks & climate change
Emergent exposure of flood inundation hazards under future climate change in New Zealand Floods are some of New Zealand’s most frequent, most damaging and most disruptive natural hazards. As our climate changes, flooding caused by both increased rainfall and rising sea levels – in coastal areas and on floodplains – is expected to increase. As... Read more »...
Sea level rise, housing and insurance: Liability and compensation
This project looked at the question of sea level rise and insurance. It investigated the “tipping points” at which insurance companies might decide to refuse insurance to coastal property owners, and asked, what will happen next? To what extent can or should homeowners rely on the EQC, or on local or central government, to compensate them if their... Read more »...