Research

Developing a snowmelt forecast system to enable more accurate and confident forecasts of river flow and alpine hazards.

NIWA researchers are testing new methods for quantifying methane emissions from agriculture and waste.

Cyclone Gabrielle resulted in the transport of vast amounts of freshwater, sediment and debris to the marine environment of Te Matau-a-Māui/Hawkes Bay and Tairāwhiti/Gisborne regions. 

Transforming coastal lowland systems threatened by sea-level rise into prosperous communities

This project aims to establish connections between weather and river flow forecasting, inundation prediction and risks to people and assets.

Understanding the trends in recreational fisheries is key to ensuring sustainable fisheries across the country.

The Tongan deepwater demersal line fishery is a valuable source of income, livelihood, and social well-being for the people of Tonga. The fishery has a history of boom-and-bust cycles with fluctuating catches and poor economic returns.

Updated 2025 – guidance for water quality monitoring in rivers, lakes and estuaries

On this page, you can find information about tide forecasts, sea-level network, tidal model of New Zealand's EEZ, and red-alert days for coastal flooding.

This NIWA-led, three-year project developed a high-tech protype system to minimise bycatch of unwanted species in trawl gear.

Mangrove systems on oceanic atolls may lose the race to keep pace with sea-level rise.

Climate has always been important for Māori. It affects natural environmental systems and resources, influences social-ecological knowledge and practice, shapes community vulnerability and resilience.