Natural Hazards research projects

Find out more about some of our natural hazards-related work.

Serious Games for Climate Change Adaptation

NIWA is using serious games to look at problems holistically, support understanding and give a framework for climate change adaptation decision-making.

PARTneR (Pacific Risk Tool for Resilience)

Understanding how hazards impact people and the environment provides the foundation for informed decision making for a resilient Pacific

Tsunami hazard in Wallis and Futuna

Could Wallis and Futuna be affected by tsunamis? And if so, what characteristics would such tsunamis have?

RiskScape software

RiskScape, a joint venture between NIWA and GNS Science, is a tool for analysing potential economic and social impacts from multiple natural hazards.

Submarine faulting beneath Pegasus Bay

In September 2010 and February 2011, two devastating earthquakes (M7.1 and M6.3 respectively) hit the Canterbury region

Coastal adaptation to climate change

NIWA is developing guidelines and advice to help coastal communities adapt to climate change.

Wave and storm-surge projections (WASP)

NIWA is working on a ministry-funded project to produce a model, validated by 40 years of historic data, to project future wave and storm surges off the coast for two climate change scenarios.

Physical hazards affecting coastal margins and the continental shelf

This programme is about providing improved knowledge of the causes and potential consequences of coastal hazards in New Zealand, and how often they might pose a threat.