As New Zealand faces more frequent and severe weather events, a leading climate resilience expert says stronger partnerships between local councils and marae communities will be essential to protecting people, infrastructure and the environment. Waatea News spoke with Professor Paora (Paul) Tapsell, Director of the Kāika Institute of Climate Resilience at Lincoln University, on the role of marae in climate adaptation. Professor Tapsell argues that effective adaptation plannin

The Waitangi Oromahoe Kāinga Adaptation Plan continues to gain momentum as the hapū of Ngāti Kawa, Ngāti Rāhiri and Matarahurahu work with researchers and local government to move from planning to implementation. Taiātea One important milestone was an invitation for Ngāti Kawa to present the Kāinga Adaptation Plan at the 2026 Taiātea: Gathering of the Oceans Symposium, held at Waitangi in mid-June 2026. Taiātea brought together Indigenous leaders, marine scientists, other res

Lessons from Project Kāinga Each community followed pathways unique to their geographic, demographic, land and ecological histories, several common themes emerged: Successful climate adaptation is most effective when it is community-led, grounded in local knowledge and informed by science. Project Kāinga has shown the value of bringing together fragmented environmental, social and cultural information into a single evidence base that communities can use to understand risks, i

Published in August 2022 by the Ministry for the Environment, this summary document outlines how Aotearoa's first National Adaptation Plan addresses the disproportionate impacts of climate change on Māori communities. It acknowledges that many Māori live in coastal and rural areas where homes, marae, urupā, mahinga kai and wāhi tapu face escalating risk from flooding, sea level rise and severe weather events. The document sets out a range of government actions aimed at buildi

Published in August 2022 by the Ministry for the Environment (Manatū Mō Te Taiao), this is the first statutory national adaptation plan produced under the Climate Change Response Act 2002. It sets out government action over six years to help New Zealanders adapt to the current and projected impacts of climate change — including flooding, sea level rise, drought and severe weather events. The plan will be updated every six years. The plan is structured across eight outcome are

Prepared by Alistair Mowat (Thought Strategy Limited) for Project Kāinga, this November 2024 report explores how artificial intelligence and emerging environmental monitoring technologies can be integrated with mātauranga Māori to support biodiversity restoration and climate resilience in Aotearoa. It is grounded in a five-pillar conceptual framework spanning Indigenous knowledge systems, technology integration, co-management and governance, adaptive capacity, and ethical and

Published in May 2026 as a companion report to the 2026 National Climate Change Risk Assessment, Ngā mea hirahira o te ao Māori ("things of importance in the Māori world") is an independent kaupapa Māori assessment of climate-related risks to iwi and Māori. It was prepared by Manaaki Whenua – Landcare Research and the University of Waikato for He Pou a Rangi – Climate Change Commission, and its findings were formally adopted into the Commission's national advice. The report a

RNZ highlights University of Waikato PhD graduate Dr Akuhata Bailey-Winiata (Tūhourangi, Ngāti Whakaue, Ngāti Tutetawha) told RNZ many existing adaptation options, processes and frameworks don't consistently account for the cultural significance of marae. Drawing on the whakataukī "Kia whakatōmuri te haere whakamua - I walk backwards into the future with my eyes fixed on my past," he looked back through history for examples of marae or communities being relocated. "So we foun

Published in April 2026 by He Pou a Rangi Climate Change Commission, this is the second statutory National Climate Change Risk Assessment (NCCRA), required under the Climate Change Response Act 2002. It is a full assessment covering 37 climate-related risks across seven interconnected domains, incorporating updated climate projections and new analysis since the first NCCRA in 2020. It is one of four reports in the Commission's 2026 assessment suite; the others address priorit

Project Kāinga, PhD Graduate Dr Rochelle MacKintosh published findings from her doctoral thesis in Te Kaharoa. Read the abstract here, or download the full article at the link below. Abstract Climate change poses an escalating global threat, with Māori—the Indigenous people of Aotearoa New Zealand—disproportionately exposed to its cumulative impacts. Increasingly frequent and severe weather events require Māori landowners to develop adaptive strategies that protect and sustai

Culminating 5 years of research, hapū Ngāi Tamawhariua of Te Rereatukāhia have launched completed their kāinga plan. Executive Summary Ngai Tamawhariua puta noa ki te Rereatukahia (Te Rereatukahia) is a coastal community. We have learned that our papakainga is vulnerable to the impacts of climate change and that we will have to relocate. This hapu-led Kainga Plan is the result of five years of work. It will be an enduring document as it looks forward 100 years into the future

Ngāti Manu’s Kāinga Plan sets out a proactive framework to protect the wellbeing of whānau, marae and taonga in the face of accelerating climate and environmental change.

After years of hard kōrero, planning and mahi Tautoro hapū announce the completion of their kāinga plan: Tautoro Tū Te Ao, Tū Te Pō Tautoro's Kāinga Plan purpose is defined in the following way: This phrase is a commitment to face the challenges of climate change and the broader environmental pressures that affect our kāinga, which include land-use change, horticultural development, radiata pine afforestation and groundwater extraction. This kāinga plan is a declaration of in

On September 23 rd , 9.30am, Ngāti Rāhiri, Ngāti Kawa and Matarahurahu formally handed Te Kaunihera o Te Hiku o te Ika (FNDC) the recently developed Kāinga Plan - Climate Adaptation Plan (CAP), prior to the formal sitting of Te Kuaka Te Ao Māori Komiti. The brief ceremony was opened up with karakia, and mihi whakatau by Te Kuaka members before being turned over to hapū. Ngāti Kawa Taituha spoke to the development of the plan alongside Project Kāinga, the process involved,

Abstract Climate change is a global issue affecting Aotearoa/New Zealand and the wider world. It is primarily driven by human activities, particularly the release of carbon dioxide into the atmosphere from burning fossil fuels, with its impacts widely felt (WWF, 2024). Indigenous groups around the world are severely affected by climate change. These impacts affect cultural practices, increase health risks within indigenous communities and exacerbate existing inequalities that

ABSTRACT: Through case study research of Te Rimu Ahu Whenua Trust located in Te Araroa, East Coast of Aotearoa, New Zealand, this thesis investigates the impacts, challenges, and opportunities for Māori productive land holdings regarding climate change. Given the increasing severity and frequency of extreme weather events in Aotearoa and worldwide, landowners must find ways to protect and restore their lands and environments. This may include exploring new ways to address cli

On the 8th of May, Rochelle and her whānau travelled down to Dunedin, supporting her graduation. Rochelle Mackintosh completed her PhD at Otago long distance. She was supervised by Merata, Paora and Hirini. Rochelle's thesis was titled: Whakapapa, Whenua, Wai: A case study of Te Rimu Trust in the face of climate change. Through case study research of Te Rimu Ahu Whenua Trust located in Te Araroa, East Coast of Aotearoa, New Zealand, this thesis investigates the impacts, chall

ABSTRACT: This thesis explores the generation and maintenance of mātauranga (ancestral Māori knowledge), food production and...