Hazards

Following extreme weather events in 2023, NIWA reprioritised research to help affected communities recover and prepare for the future.

NIWA is developing a national river flow forecasting tool for New Zealand that aims to support and strengthen our planning for and response to extreme rainfall events.

NIWA and the Ministry for Primary Industries (MPI) are working together to develop a new drought forecasting tool.

RiskScape is a software application for analysing natural hazard consequences.

This five-year NIWA-led research programme is developing a system to map flood hazard consistently across the whole country. It will reveal how our flood risk might change over the next 100 years because of changes to rainfall and sea level from climate change, as well as due to land-use changes.

NIWA’s research into forecasting weather systems aims to increase the resilience of New Zealand communities to weather-related hazards.

NIWA is leading a New Zealand partnership to map the South and West Pacific Ocean's seabed as part of a worldwide initiative to map the entire globe’s seafloor.

Evaluating its strengths and limitations through two Future Coasts Aotearoa case studies

See reports produced to guide potential adaptation strategies in the Lower Waikato region.

The Te Puuaha case study uses causal diagrams to show how sea level rise impacts whaanau wellbeing, helping identify areas for action.

A serious game simulating a coastal lowland scenario under climate change to support adaptation decision-making and community engagement.

Mapping migration space for coastal habitats under sea-level-rise