The Government has released New Zealand's first National Adaptation Framework to ensure people know what risks they face and what the plan is to address them, Climate Change Minister Simon Watts says.
"New Zealand faces growing risks from floods, storms and other natural hazards. We need our country and economy to be resilient and well-prepared," Mr Watts says.
"That's why the Government is introducing the National Adaptation Framework to give us an enduring system that prepares New Zealand for the impacts of climate change, supports economic growth and keeps the overall costs to our society as low as possible."
The Framework includes four pillars with 16 actions all designed to ensure New Zealand is prepared for the effects of climate change. These pillars include:
- Risks and response information sharing
- Roles and responsibilities
- Investment in risk reduction
- Cost-sharing pre-and post-event
"One of the more significant pillars is ensuring New Zealanders have access to better information about the risks they face, especially from flooding," Mr Watts says.
"New Zealand's first-ever National Flood Map will show where flooding is likely to happen, both now and in the future as a result of climate change. We'll make the map readily available, to make it easy for anyone to look up and understand their risks."
Work is underway, with the first iteration of the map expected by 2027.
