A new regional climate change hazards and risks report will help councils, iwi, businesses and communities understand and respond to the risks that may be relevant to them.

The technical report was presented to the council’s Climate Action Committee last week, along with the council’s own organisational climate change risk assessment.

Senior Regional Hazards Advisor Whitney Mills, co-author of the report, told councillors it was a one stop shop of all currently known climate hazards and risks for each district in the region.

“It will help the 11 local councils in the Waikato region with climate adaptation planning, and it will help the regional council to prioritise our own adaption responses across the region,” she said.

The report details possible risks (impacts) from severe weather and flooding, coastal inundation and erosion, drought, temperature increases, landslides and erosion, increased fire weather and sea level rise.

The risks, which were identified in partnership with a wide range of stakeholders, include direct and indirect impacts to people, the natural environment, the economy, the built environment and governance/institutions.

“The report includes a high-level hazard and risk exposure map for each local council area that shows where the identified hazards and risks occur now and for the future,” said Ms Mills.

“There are different levels of climate hazard and risk across the districts and understanding this helps us to prioritise our work.”

Chair Jennifer Nickel praised the publication of the regional assessment as being a significant milestone for enabling others – sectors, organisations or individuals – to have as a robust, evidence-based input for making their own plans for adapting to the impacts of climate change.

“People are becoming more aware of the need to build resilience into their lives and the organisations and sectors that they work and play in.

“Not everyone may have it front of mind, considering the many pressing issues in people’s lives, but many will likely know someone who has been affected in some way by higher average temperatures or extreme weather impacts.

“The Coromandel Peninsula is highly vulnerable to landslips from intense rainfall events, for example, as seen during Cyclone Gabrielle in February 2023. This event caused significant road damage, including the closure of State Highway 25A, leaving many communities isolated and cut off.

“The Hauraki Plains, which relies heavily on reticulated water for farming, is highly vulnerable to reduced water availability during prolonged dry periods. This leads to heat stress on animals and plant species, reduced pasture feed, and affects food production, which all impacts our environment, people and the economy.

“This technical report compiles extensive information to help in the development of climate adaptation plans at a range of scales, so can be used by anyone, including businesses, primary producers, communities, iwi/Māori, researchers, local government, and public sector agencies. I hope it will be widely shared and used.

“It’s a tool that can help to identify areas needing focused risk management, initiate detailed risk assessments, raise community awareness about climate change and prioritise adaptation responses and investment.”

Waikato Regional Council is using the report to inform its own climate change risk assessment.

Sustainability and Climate Change Senior Advisor Joy Moir, who presented the council’s Organisational Climate Change Risk Assessment to the committee said the report had helped the council to identify 77 physical risks and 18 transition risks to the organisation’s assets, operations and responsibilities. Action plans were already underway or being planned to address these risks.

“The main hazards they relate to are extreme weather events, increased intense rainfall and drought,” said Mrs Moir.

“Most of the physical risks identified are to our flood protection assets, but water quality and quantity, the coastal marine area, biodiversity and biosecurity are also spaces we work in that are highly sensitive to climate change.”

The greatest transition risks relate to funding, the council’s regulatory response and reputation.

The regional climate change hazards and risks technical report and Waikato Regional Council’s organisational climate change risk assessment can be viewed in the agenda of May’s Climate Action Committee. The agenda, a recording of the meeting, and presentations to the committee can be found here: https://www.waikatoregion.govt.nz/community/whats-happening/council-meetings/climate-action-committee-agendas-and-minutes/ 

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