New Zealand's environmental reporting series: Our freshwater 2026 presents information on the state of New Zealand's freshwater environment.
Our freshwater 2026 - To Tātou Wai Māori, a three-yearly update about Aotearoa New Zealand's freshwater system, is produced by the Ministry for the Environment and Stats NZ.
View the report and news story on the Ministry for the Environment website:
- Our freshwater 2026
- Hidden groundwater powers our rivers: Our freshwater 2026 warns why early action matters.
See also the environmental indicators used in Our freshwater 2026.
About the report
Our freshwater 2026 is the fourth report in the series dedicated to the freshwater environment, following reports in 2017, 2020, and 2023.
In 2026, the report focuses on groundwater as it reveals long-term pressures in the connected freshwater system, how changes affect water quality, and the impacts of this on ecosystems and people.
Environmental indicators: Our freshwater 2026
View more environmental indicators