Resilience to Nature's Challenges

We’re thrilled to announce the recent release of a groundbreaking new dataset that maps coastal changes across Aotearoa from the 1940s to today. Developed by our 'New Zealand's Changing Coastlines' team at The University of Auckland, this dataset is the result of the most detailed stocktake of national erosion rates since the 1970s. It's a valuable tool that will play a key role in helping communities, councils, and policymakers plan for coastal changes and sea-level rise. 🌊 "This dataset is a game-changer for our approach to coastal management," says Professor Mark Dickson, one of the lead researchers along with Dr Emma Ryan, Dr Megan Tuck and Assoc Prof Murray Ford. “The richness and granularity of this data allow us to see coastal changes with unprecedented detail," says Murray. “Being able to see patterns of both erosion—where natural forces gradually wear away the land, and accretion—the build-out of land towards the sea—gives government, planners, and everyone involved in coastal management and climate adaptation cost-effective access to data.” “The data set gives our country a critical baseline for cost-effective climate change adaptation planning and risk assessment,” says Emma. Getting a national baseline picture like this is important, because it identifies erosion hotspots where decision making is most urgent. The project has taken five years and involved more than 40 researchers. It has really been a mammoth effort - huge congratulations to everyone involved. Ka rawe! 👏 Thanks also to Jamie Morton for the excellent coverage in the NZ Herald, helping to bring this important work to a wider audience. 🌍 Explore the dataset here: https://coastalchange.nz/ 📰 Read the NZ Herald coverage: https://lnkd.in/d7-PvmJf

🌟 Join us online this Thursday for the latest in resilience research! During our 10 years of mahi, the Resilience Challenge has funded over 120 post-graduate students, driving forward our mission of accelerating resilience to natural hazards in Aotearoa New Zealand and beyond. 🌏 🎓 ⏰ At 12pm this Thursday, eleven of our current or recently completed students will be sharing their key findings in a series of lightning talks followed by topic-based Q&As in breakout rooms. With presentations covering topics like community and visitor resilience, hazard risks, models and uncertainty, hazard impacts, and adaptive planning, there's something for everyone. Whether you're a fellow researcher, policy analyst, iwi kaitiaki, planner, or working with infrastructure or communities, you’ll find valuable insights tailored to your interests. Agenda Highlights: ⚡ Lightning Talks from our emerging researchers 🗣️Topic-based Breakout Rooms to answer your questions The event spans just over two hours, but feel free to drop into the sessions that interest you most. See the full programme and register here ➡️ https://lnkd.in/g-U68A6T

We're proud to have contributed to the volcano science underpinning future Taranaki Mounga eruption scenarios for Taranaki Civil Defence Emergency Management. 🌋 Check out this cool storymap, developed by our friends from the research programme 'He Mounga Puia' on what to expect and what you should do in the event of an eruption ⬇ Evidence suggests there is a 30-50% chance of Taranaki Mounga erupting within the next 50 years, so now is the time to plan and prepare ✅

Adaptation to natural hazards is essential for our communities and infrastructure facing the recurring effects of disruptive natural events 🚧 When it comes to mitigating these impacts, decision-makers have to navigate considerable institutional, professional, and political risks ⚠️ We had some great conversations at our Te Tai Whanake symposium in May, but our panelists and audience wanted more time to explore these topics. So we're bringing back our experts for a Q&A webinar! Join us on Monday 22 July at 10am for our Live Expert Q&A: Adaptation Pathways & Decision-Making for Natural Hazard Resilience. Come with your questions for our expert panel! 🙋♀️ For more information, and to register ➡ https://lnkd.in/gQdkCRec

The end of the National Science Challenges on 30 June has left a lot of people asking "What next?" 💡 What will happen to the Resilience Challenge website and YouTube Channel? 💡 Will our outputs and resources continue to be accessible? 💡 What next for natural hazards and resilience research? We've provided answers to all this and more at the link below ⬇ Meanwhile, our staff team is working through until 30 August so you'll continue to hear from us for a few more weeks.

We appreciate RNZ for shining a light on the important coastal mapping work going on around the motu. Land Information New Zealand (LINZ) is reducing spending on its coastal mapping, which helps authorities make informed decisions on land use planning and infrastructure. With recent cuts, only 40% of New Zealand's coast will be mapped, compared to the initial target of 85%, resulting in a fragmented dataset. Our Rural Communities programme co-leader Dr Caroline Orchiston, from the University of Otago's Centre for Sustainability, explains how comprehensive data remains vital for community resilience to sea level rise and other coastal hazards. By understanding the risks associated with our dynamic coastal environment, we can better plan and build our resilience to nature's challenges and safeguard our communities. 🎧 Listen to Dr Caroline Orchiston’s 8-minute interview with Kathryn Ryan ⬇ 🌊Meanwhile, our own work to map Aotearoa’s changing shorelines through time is nearing completion and due for publication at the end of July. Stay tuned for updates!

EVENT 📢📢📢 E ngā mana, e ngā reo, nau mai, haere mai. You are invited to an online symposium to be held next Thursday 27 June, to communicate the findings of two projects led by Dr Anthony Cole (Ngāti Koroki, Ngāti Raukawa ki te Tonga), one of our kairangahau Māori (Māori researchers). The research focuses on 'accounting beyond numbers’ - ie how we can genuinely understand and account for community wellbeing, particularly Māori community wellbeing, without using narrow measures like GDP. The Accounting Beyond Numbers symposium concludes two Vision Mātauranga projects and will provide researchers and practitioners an opportunity to engage in this new, grassroots development. Join the team in welcoming Matariki with a celebration of Te Ao Māori that honours the voices and achievements of way-finders from Ngā Hapū o Heretaunga, who have helped to summon 'accounting beyond numbers' into being. This national online symposium focuses on a Māori community reconceptualisation of financial and economic accounting. It culminates an 18-year-long wayfinding journey from which ‘accounting beyond numbers’ has emerged, with its relationship to twin drivers of Māori community wellbeing (i.e. Ōhanga and Tikanga) clarified. Aotearoa New Zealand’s first online Accounting Beyond Numbers national symposium is limited to 100 participants and will run on June 27 from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. over Zoom Events. Non-refundable tickets are $100/participant and can be purchased by registering online. Accounting Beyond Numbers event registration ➡ https://lnkd.in/gPUSdrej

Hapū and whānau face significant challenges navigating the regulations around earthquake-prone buildings and how they are applied to marae. Many marae have been deemed earthquake-prone by default, as there is little information as to whether they meet the required 33% of new building standards. In some cases there has been poor communication between councils and marae communities. We need a much better approach to safeguarding these vital cultural landmarks. Prof Regan Potangaroa (Ngāti Kahungunu ki Wairarapa) from the Massey University School of Built Environment has been supporting a number of marae communities and helping them navigate this complex area. Regan is pushing for marae to be a special class of building under the Building Act. The marae communities that Regan is working with are committed to upgrading their buildings to be safe, but they need flexibility to do this within their budgets, and using their own workforce. Find out more in this beautiful video ⬇ Regan also spoke to RNZ about the difficulties that marae are facing, including the complex situation faced by his own marae, Te Ore Ore marae near Masterton. Read more ➡ https://lnkd.in/g9bmzfFT

Join us on Monday for an insightful webinar where researchers from the Extreme Weather Research Platform (EWRP) will present their key findings. When? Monday 24th June, 10:30am - 12:00pm Where? https://lnkd.in/gRMzc7Ts In response to the extreme weather events in North Island, the Ministry of Business, Innovation and Employment (MBIE) allocated $10.8 million in February 2023 for urgent scientific research and data collection. The funding was distributed across several different projects. This webinar will provide a detailed overview of key outcomes and data outputs across the EWRP. Topics will include landslide mapping, the Emergency Event Data Catalogue, strategies for supporting critical infrastructure recovery, ecological impacts, the effects of extreme weather on rangatahi and whānau wellbeing, LiDAR, remote sensing, flood mapping, and risk modelling. See you there!

Join us for a webinar to learn more about the impact of extreme weather events on mental and physical health ⚡️ 📆 When? Wednesday 19th June, 11:00am - 12:00pm 🔗 Where? https://lnkd.in/gJCQHAMB Outcomes from The Extreme Weather Survey by Growing Up in New Zealand explain how exposure to severe weather conditions can lead to a decline in health, to which rangatahi/young people may be particularly vulnerable. Presented by The University of Auckland and Extreme Weather Research Platform. #climatechange #resilience #naturalhazards #sciencecommunication #nzscience #flooding #cyclones #disasterriskreduction #AotearoaNZ #extremeweather #severeweather