research project

Marine heatwaves & oceanic changes

New Zealand is surrounded by ocean, and both our climate and our climate extremes (such as droughts, heatwaves, floods and tropical storms) are highly impacted by ocean temperatures. The ocean is also changing rapidly – it’s absorbing more heat, ocean currents are shifting, and we’re experiencing longer and more intense marine heatwaves. The more we... Read more »...

research project

Higher carbon prices: Impacts on farming and forestry whānau

Higher carbon prices are likely to lead to permanent carbon forests and a reduction of mahi on farms and in production forests. This will almost certainly impact whānau working in farming and forestry. This project was designed to ensure that our hāpori understands and is prepared for the risks and opportunities posed by permanent forests.... Read more »...

research project

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 »...

research project

Haumanu Hauora | Health responses for Māori

Haumanu Hauora was a 2-year research project that worked to understand existing policy processes and ascertain the extent to which health institutions give serious consideration to climate change impacts on Māori health vulnerabilities. In speaking to tāngata whenua (Indigenous Māori), rangatahi (Indigenous Māori youth) and District Health Board (DHB) staff it became clear that processes... Read more »...

research project

Adapting to compound flood hazards

Adaptive tools for decisions on compounding climate change impacts on water infrastructure This project is addressing compounding flood hazards on water infrastructure due to climate change. The research is investigating how flood hazards from rivers, sea-level rise and groundwater will combine either as extreme events (shocks), or as slowly emerging and increasingly persistent impacts. The research... Read more »...

research project

Climate change impacts on NZ electricity

Simulation of climate change impacts on the New Zealand energy system Electricity underpins every facet of our lives, and impacts our social and economic well-being. Climate change is expected to cause significant changes to both the demand and supply sides of electricity. Both government and industry are alive to the importance of balancing the “energy trilemma”... Read more »...

research project

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 »...

research project

Innovations for climate adaptation

Climate change adaptation is an unprecedented challenge for mana whenua and local authorities. Many feel uncertain and unsupported because there is little guidance as to the range of management and governance changes that will be needed. In spite of this, some are “just doing it”, experimenting and innovating for more just and robust adaptation decision-making. This... Read more »...

research project

Mana Rangatahi: Climate change decision-making

Growing indigenous youth participation in climate change decision-making Young Māori and Pasifika are among the most exposed to climate risk in Aotearoa, and view climate change as the next challenge in an ongoing experience of colonisation. Many are at the forefront of climate action and appear in international climate forums posing solutions. Yet here at... Read more »...

research project

Primary sector preparedness for climate change

Rapid and slow-onset climate changes to the primary sector: evaluating the role and cost of adaptation on resilience Climate change presents unprecedented challenges to our primary sector. Yet significant gaps exist in our understanding of its impacts on agriculture, the costs of these impacts, and the most effective and equitable ways to adapt. Through a suite of... Read more »...