Many native New Zealand species face threat of extinction, report finds

The kākāpō is one of New Zealand’s endangered species. A three-yearly environmental report has issued a warning on the extinction threat to some native species. Photograph: Nature Picture Library/Alamy

A major new report on New Zealand’s environment has revealed a worrying outlook for its unique species and highlighted declining water health, while also noting some improvements in air quality.

The ministry of the environment’s three-yearly update, Our Environment 2025, collates statistics, data and research across five domains – air, atmosphere and climate, freshwater, land, and marine – to paint a picture of the state of New Zealand’s environment.