New Zealand research integrates Māori knowledge to map flood and cultural risks

A research programme in New Zealand is integrating advanced flood modelling with mātauranga Māori to assess both physical and cultural risks from rising sea levels. Developed for Te Pokohiwi o Kupe (Wairau Bar), the model indicates that up to 75% of the low-lying area could be affected by a one-in-100-year storm by 2130 due to projected sea level rise.

The site is one of the earliest human settlements in Aotearoa New Zealand and holds significant archaeological and cultural importance, including ancestral remains and wāhi tapu. The project was a collaboration between Rangitāne o Wairau, Earth Sciences New Zealand, and the Marlborough District Council.

Funded by the Natural Hazards Commission Toka Tū Ake, the second phase of the research utilized wānanga and interviews with kaumātua to translate intergenerational knowledge into indicators of cultural impact. This approach allows the model to account for damage to identity and connection to place alongside traditional property and land damage metrics. The work was named a finalist in the New Zealand Science Awards.