On 1 July 2025, NIWA merged with GNS Science to become Earth Sciences New Zealand.

Hazards

NIWA researchers study geological, weather and coastal hazards, including the impact of climate change on some of these.

  • Extreme weather research gets a boost

    Media release
    NIWA has launched a $5 million per year package of new projects aiming to tackle some of New Zealand’s most pressing challenges, including responding to and preparing for extreme weather events.
  • Government review of weather forecasting system

    Media release
    – Statement by NIWA Chief Executive John Morgan
  • Kaikōura’s deep seabed is rapidly recovering, says NIWA

    Media release
    Areas of Kaikōura’s seabed show promising signs of recovery just four years after the 2016 earthquake, says NIWA.
  • New maps reveal places at risk from sea-level rise

    Media release
    New maps from NIWA and the Deep South National Science Challenge show areas across Aotearoa New Zealand that could be inundated by extreme coastal flooding.
  • Stop bank along the Hutt River.

    Adapting to climate change

    Education Resource
    Helping you understand the science of climate change. The things we can do to combat climate change, individually, and alongside our whānau, school and community, can and will make a difference.
  • NIWA's Historic Weather Events website

    Media release
    Our official statement in response to Ian Wishart's report about NIWA's Historic Weather Events Catalogue website.
  • In numbers: New Zealand’s wild summer weather

    Media release
    It has been a summer to remember, but not in a good way.
  • Hotspot Watch 16 February 2023

    Hotspot
    A weekly update describing soil moisture patterns across the country to show where dry to extremely dry conditions are occurring or imminent. Regions experiencing significant soil moisture deficits are deemed “hotspots”. Persistent hotspot regions have the potential to develop into drought.
  • Mā te haumaru o ngā puna wai o Rākaihautū ka ora mō ake tonu

    A NIWA-led research programme developing a system to map flood hazard consistently across the whole country.
  • RiskScape software

    RiskScape is a software application for analysing natural hazard consequences.
  • Hotspot Watch 12 January 2023

    Hotspot
    A weekly update describing soil moisture patterns across the country to show where dry to extremely dry conditions are occurring or imminent. Regions experiencing significant soil moisture deficits are deemed “hotspots”. Persistent hotspot regions have the potential to develop into drought.
  • Fire-Haze-Banner

    Fire in the sky

    News article
    New research suggests large-scale wildfires may be changing the chemical makeup of our atmosphere. Jessica Rowley explains.