Interview: Marae at the Heart of Climate Resilience, Says Lincoln University Expert – Waatea News (July 2026)

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 planning must move beyond engineering solutions and engage the environmental knowledge, social networks and local leadership already embedded within kāinga and marae communities. He calls for councils and central government to work alongside iwi and hapū as equal partners from the outset — not as a consultation afterthought — and points to the repeated role of marae during recent disasters as evidence of their capacity as community resilience hubs.

The article connects directly to the kaupapa of Project Kāinga. Professor Tapsell's argument — that lasting climate resilience is built through relationships, local leadership and hapū-defined approaches — reflects what our partner communities across Te Tai Tokerau have been demonstrating through the kāinga planning process.

Read the full article or listen at waateanews.com.