This Flagship will support New Zealand’s water security – the availability of sufficient quality water to support livelihoods, productivity and economic growth, as well as environmental health into the future.
We will provide research, information and tools to help decision-making by central and regional government and a range of sectors, especially agriculture, energy and conservation.
The national need for this research arises from emerging conflicts about the best uses of our limited water resources, especially concerning irrigation, hydropower generation, and the maintenance of stream flows required to support aquatic ecosystems and cultural values. Water security is a multifaceted issue that includes public health, economic productivity, food security, natural hazards management and ecosystem health. It is a key component of New Zealand’s national security strategy.
This Flagship develops predictive models and associated simulation tools needed to predict water flows and ecosystem health attributes now and in the future. This will include assessing alternative water use scenarios, future-proofing water allocation approaches, prioritising water infrastructure investments, and managing the inevitable trade-offs between competing economic, environmental and cultural uses of water.
