Output: The Project Kāinga “road to resilience”

Lessons from Project Kāinga

Each community followed pathways unique to their geographic, demographic, land and ecological histories, several common themes emerged:

1. Successful climate adaptation is most effective when it is community-led, grounded in local knowledge and informed by science.

2. 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, identify priorities and plan for the future. 

3. Strong partnerships between hapū, researchers, local government and environmental agencies are necessary to help ensure that this knowledge can inform practical decision-making.

4. Adaptation is more than responding to climate hazards—it is also about strengthening leadership, protecting cultural identity, restoring ecosystems and creating opportunities for future generations.

5. The Kāinga Plans demonstrate that adaptation is an ongoing process rather than a single project. They provide communities with a shared evidence base, a long-term vision and practical actions to inform future investment, planning and decision-making. 

   
   

The Project Kāinga “road to resilience” offers a model that other hapū, iwi, Māori land trusts and local authorities can adapt to their own circumstances to support climate resilience across Aotearoa.