Working with nature can help NZ adapt to climate change. Where is the plan to do it?
For nature-based climate adaptation, better data is only one part of the full system required to determine where to act, who decides and how action will be funded.
Two major reports released recently underscore New Zealand's need to adapt to climate change while highlighting the challenges in implementing nature-based solutions. The Climate Change Commission found that current adaptation efforts aren't keeping pace with increasing risks, but acknowledges that working more with nature could help mitigate these risks.
However, this effort is hindered by insufficient action, supportive policies, and funding. The Parliamentary Commissioner for the Environment added that the fragmented and difficult-to-access information needed for informed environmental decisions exacerbates the problem. Both reports emphasize the need for a more strategic approach using nature-based solutions, which employ natural systems to manage climate impacts.
But the success of these solutions depends on having the right information and a supportive system. While nature-based solutions can be effective in specific contexts, they are not universally applicable. For example, a wetland might reduce flooding in one part of a catchment but not elsewhere. Restoration of erosion-prone slopes may yield greater benefits than planting on stable farmland.
Furthermore, not all restoration projects count as nature-based solutions; they must address a defined problem, operate at an appropriate ecological scale, and produce measurable benefits. To effectively implement nature-based solutions, New Zealand needs a comprehensive system that can identify, fund, and evaluate these projects.
This system should operate at three levels: national priorities, ecological processes across landscapes, and decisions made at individual farms or properties. A federated environmental data system is crucial for this, but it must be supplemented by a "landscape intelligence" system that brings together data on ecosystems, hazards, land use, and communities, along with tools to turn this data into practical decisions.
While New Zealand has many examples demonstrating the potential of using better information for climate adaptation, as well as its limitations, much of this work is being done by communities with limited support. A national system that facilitates effective nature-based solutions could help move "working with nature" from an attractive policy aspiration to a practical part of adapting to climate change.
Written by urgent.news from The Conversation AU's reporting — not their text. Machine-written — may contain errors; check the original before relying on it.
