As political leaders at COP27 focus today on the impact of climate change on water, Water NZ chief executive Gillian Blythe says the problem is closer to home
Opinion: Global temperature increases are heading towards 1.5°C and the risks are being felt now. World leaders and diplomats at the COP-27 (27th Conference of the Parties of the UNFCCC) in Eqypt heard the lack of progress in fighting climate change so far had the world speeding down a “highway to hell”.
In Aotearoa New Zealand, recent extreme weather events – rain, drought, wildfire risk – are a taste of what’s to come.
The frequency of short-term drought in Blenheim and Dunedin is increasing; Auckland experienced its longest dry spell in early 2020, which finally ended after 47 days; and wildfires have scorched hundreds of hectares in Kaimaumau, Pigeon Valley, the Port Hills and the Awarua-Waituna coastal wetland.
This year alone Nelson, Gisborne and the West Coast have repeatedly experienced evacuated homes and state of emergency declarations, after repeated intense rain and flooding. About 675,000 (or one in seven) people across New Zealand live in areas that are prone to flooding, which amounts to nearly $100 billion worth of residential buildings that are at risk.
A further 72,065 people live in areas that are projected to be exposed to extreme sea-level rise, and about $5 billion of local government owned infrastructure is exposed.
Research by NZ SeaRise shows that, in many places, rising sea levels due to climate change will impact Aotearoa as soon as 2040, rather than 2060, due to land subsidence being factored in. This means our time to react is being squeezed.
As the climate continues to change, more and more communities and assets will be exposed to the impacts of climate change.
Sources of drinking water, communities and business will be at risk of floods and droughts; crop and infrastructure failures and other extreme weather events will become more and more frequent.
To limit global warming to 1.5°C, global emissions must immediately reach their peak and then be cut in half by 2030. This means a rapid and equitable phase out of all fossil fuels, drastically reducing greenhouse gas emissions over the next six years. Despite the recent IPCC reports, there has been a considerable and concerning lack of urgency to change our behaviour. The United Nations has given a stark warning that at the current level of ambition, we will miss the target in the Paris Agreement of limiting global temperature rise to 1.5 degrees.
At COP27, leaders have been warned that we can’t adapt our way out of climate change.
We all need to step up and tackle the climate crisis with urgency. In Aotearoa New Zealand this requires us to develop a timeline for the phaseout of all fossil fuels and rapidly scale up the deployment of clean power generation and energy efficiency measures. We need carbon reduction across all sectors and ensure the alignment of finance flows with lower emissions solutions and climate-resilient development.
We need to protect and restore biodiverse and carbon-rich ecosystems like wetlands and native forests. Nature based solutions, such as restoring coastal wetlands, also absorb impacts of increased storminess, detain flood flows and provide biodiversity, cultural and recreation values.
The window to take action to avoid the worst impacts of climate change is closing fast. Improving the resilience of our natural environment infrastructure and communities has never been more important.
Whatever happens as a result of COP27, water services will be, and are, affected by climate impacts. Sources of drinking water, communities and business will be at risk of floods and droughts; crop and infrastructure failures and other extreme weather events will become more and more frequent. We know groundwater and sea level rise will challenge our infrastructure and that managing drought and water shortages will be increasingly costly and difficult.
We need to draw on all our resources and look to new ways of meeting these challenges. Solutions such as Te Mana o te Wai which takes an integrated and holistic approach to protecting wai (water), from ki uta ki tai (mountains to sea) are now being embraced by many in the sector.
It will be crucial to increasing our resilience. This whole-of-system approach to water and the connections to wider environmental and social outcomes reflects the broader government commitments, such as those set by the He Pou a Rangi, the Climate Change Commission.
It needs to be embedded across all Three Waters management as well as freshwater management. This will require greater collaboration across councils, and proactive Treaty partner engagement.
An example is Te Tauihu, the top of Te Waipounamu, where eight iwi were willing to work collaboratively to proactively engage with three councils. Te Tauihu stretches across the boundaries of three unitary councils (Marlborough District Council, Nelson City Council and Tasman District Council).
Within this area are eight iwi (Ngāti Kuia, Rangitāne, Ngāti Apa ki te Rā Tō, Ngāti Rārua, Ngāti Tama, Te Ātiawa, Ngāti Koata, and Ngāti Toa). Our Land and Water (one of the National Science Challenges) have said that this collaboration has resulted in changes to the conversations about projects across the grouping – not just relating to Te Mana o te Wai and the issues facing water but also timeframes, resourcing, iwi internal capability and capacity.
We need to collaborate proactively to improve the effectiveness of planning, land use, service delivery and nature-based solutions.
All policy settings and incentives must provide clear, consistent, and enduring direction for our industry to ensure we are investing in low carbon, climate-resilient infrastructure and protecting and restoring the environment while allowing for easier development and growth.
