Urutau, ka taurikura: Kia tū pakari a Aotearoa i ngā huringa āhuarangi Adapt and thrive: Building a climate-resilient New Zealand – New Zealand's first national adaptation plan

Aotearoa New Zealand’s first national adaptation plan contains strategies, policies and actions that will help New Zealanders adapt to the changing climate and its effects – so we can reduce the potential harm of climate change, as well as seize the opportunities that arise.
The Table of actions also forms part of the national adaptation plan. Further supporting documents are linked in the related publications section at the bottom of this page.
The plan was published in 2022. Some actions in the plan were amended in January 2025 as part of the Government's response to the Climate Change Commission's national adaptation plan progress report. These updates reflect changes in circumstances since the plan was published, and align with the Government’s climate strategy.
See the response and updated table of actions for more details.
The climate has warmed by 1.1°C in the past 100 years – we are already seeing the devastating effects. We can expect to continue to see rising sea levels, more extreme weather events, and increased risk of wildfire and drought. We can meet the challenges of a changing climate – but there is no time to waste. We need to take action now. That is the purpose of this national adaptation plan.
Identify the climate-related risks we need to prepare for.
Strategies, policies and proposals to help us understand and respond to climate change risks.
Adaptation is a continuous process of assessing and managing risk, evaluating the effectiveness of actions taken and adjusting those actions as needed. By adapting to the unavoidable effects of climate change, we become more resilient to those risks.
Climate change is exacerbating the risk of existing natural hazards – including flooding and drought – and creating new risks such as sea-level rise. We can build on our past experience with natural hazards to prepare for increased risk in the future.
This national adaptation plan is the first in a series. Every six years, He Pou a Rangi – Climate Change Commission will prepare a national climate change risk assessment. This will identify the climate risks that need to be addressed most urgently. New national adaptation plans that respond to those risks will be developed in consultation with all New Zealanders.
The first plan focuses on getting the foundations right. It sets out what the Government will do to enable better risk-informed decisions, drive climate-resilient development
in the right locations, help communities assess adaptation options (including managed retreat) and embed climate resilience into all of the Government’s work.
Together, we can reduce our vulnerability to climate risk, enhance our ability to adapt and strengthen our resilience to a changing climate.
Climate change will affect where we want to live and invest, how we farm and run our businesses and how we keep ourselves safe. To make good decisions, we will need to assess current and future climate risks to our homes, businesses and communities.
The national adaptation plan will enable New Zealanders to make better risk-informed decisions. To make sure everyone has access to up-to-date and relevant information, tools, methodologies and guidance, the Government will:
The built environment has a long lifespan. Decisions we make today about how and where we develop really matter. Buildings, infrastructure and communities must be resilient to the impacts of climate change and help build our capacity to adapt to a changing climate.
To make sure that our planning and infrastructure investment systems guide climate-resilient development in the right places and account for changing risks, the Government will:
Councils should use their existing powers now to drive climate-resilient development in the right places. As a minimum, they should use the climate scenarios recommended by the national adaptation plan when exercising their resource management functions.
Many of our communities are already under threat from natural hazard events. These events will increase in severity and frequency over time because of climate change. Councils and communities can consider a range of adaptation options to reduce risk.
There are a range of adaption options to manage and respond to different climate risks.
To support councils, communities, businesses and individuals to consider and understand the adaptation options available in their area, the Government will:
The Government will embed climate resilience across all its strategies and policies.
When ecosystems are healthy and diverse, they can adjust more effectively to climate threats. To support healthy, connected ecosystems, where biodiversity thrives, the Government will:
Homes, buildings and places play a vital role in our health, wellbeing and quality of life. Driving climate-resilient development in the right places and putting the foundations in place for communities to consider adaptation options, will help make sure they are resilient to the changing climate, and support people and communities to thrive. In addition to those actions, the Government will:
Infrastructure provides the services we depend on to live, work, learn and play. To reduce the vulnerability of existing assets and ensure new infrastructure is fit for a changing climate, the Government will:
Communities are diverse and experience the impacts of climate change in various ways. Building and maintaining strong communities will equip New Zealanders with the right tools to adapt. To support resilient communities that are empowered to respond to risks, the Government will:
Climate change impacts, such as increased floods, droughts and sea-level rise, are already affecting our economy. To make sure our economy is resilient in the face of a changing climate, and that we seize the opportunities that will arise, the Government will:
Safeguarding biodiversity and ecosystems is fundamental to our climate response. Our precious native ecosystems can buffer us from the impacts of climate change, store carbon, support biodiversity and improve community wellbeing.
To address the climate and biodiversity crises together, the Government will:
Climate change will affect all of us in different ways. We all need to be prepared and we all have a role to play in building a climate-resilient Aotearoa.
No two communities will experience climate change in the same way. Communities that are less able to adapt and disproportionately affected by climate change – including Māori, Pacific people and ethnic communities, low-income groups, disabled and older people, women, children and youth, and rural communities – are considered throughout this plan. This includes actions on infrastructure, housing and urban development, the reform of the institutional arrangements for water services, and development of legislation on managed retreat.
We need to ensure an equitable transition for Māori, led by Māori, to uphold Māori rights and interests under Te Tiriti o Waitangi. Achieving an equitable transition means building Māori–Crown relationships and capability, so that we can progress our climate response work as partners.
Māori-led climate-change initiative Te Ihirangi has developed the Rauora framework, which brings together Māori values and principles into an indigenous worldview of climate change. The framework provides a lens through which the adaptation strategy and national adaptation plan will be progressed.
Reflecting the principle of interconnectedness, which is at the heart of the Rauora framework, both this plan and the emissions reduction plan establish a pathway for Māori and government to work together to:
Updates to the Building Code available
Climate risk integrated into Treasury decision-making.
1.1°C te pikinga ake o te mahana o te āhuarangi i roto i ngā tau 100 kua pahure ake – e kite kē nei tātou i ngā pānga whakamōtī o taua whakamahanatanga ake. Kāore e kore ka piki tonu te tai moana, ka hūkerikeri ake te āhuarangi, me te mōrearea nui ake o te ahi taikaha me te tauraki. Ka taea ngā wero o te āhuarangi e panoni ana te kaupare – engari kia kaua e moumou tāima. Me mahi i ngā mahi ināia tonu nei. Koinei te pūtake o tēnei mahere urutaunga ā-motu.
Tautohua ngā tūraru panoni āhuarangi me takatū e tātou.
Ngā rautaki, ngā kaupapahere me ngā marohi e mārama ake ai tātou, e taea ai hoki te urupare ki ngā mōrea panoni āhuarangi.
He tukanga mutukore te urutaunga o te aromatawai me te whakahaere i te mōrea, te aromātai i te tōtika o ngā mahi kua mahia, me te urutau i aua mahi ki te hiahiatia. Mā te urutau haere ki aua pānga o te panoni āhuarangi tē taea te karo, ka tupu ake tō tātou aumangea ki aua mōrea.
Nā te panoni āhuarangi ka hē kē atu te mōrea ka tūpono mai ngā pūmate o te taiao – pērā i te waipuke me te tauraki – ka mutu, ka whakaputa i ngā mōrea hou pērā i te pikinga o te tai moana. Ka taea te whakamahi i ō tātou wheako o mua ki ngā pūmate tūturu hei whakapakari i a tātou kia noho takatū mō te mōrearea nui ake ā ngā tau e tū mai nei.
He tuatahitanga tēnei mahere urutaunga ā-motu nō tētahi raupapa o ngā mahere. Ka whakaotihia e He Poua a Rangi he aromatawai tūraru panoni āhuarangi ā-motu i ia ono tau. Mā tērā e tautohu ngā tūraru me whakatutuki i runga i te tino hohoro.
Ka whakawhanaketia ngā mahere urutaunga ā-motu ka urupare kia aua tūraru i runga i te whitiwhiti kōrero ki ngā tāngata katoa o Aotearoa.
E arotahi ana te mahere tuatahi ki te whakarite kia tika ngā mahi tūāpapa. Ko tāna, he whakatakoto ka aha te Kāwanatanga kia puta mai ai ngā whakataunga e pai ake ai te mōhio ki ngā tūraru, ki te uruhi anō hoki i ngā whanaketanga e manawaroa ana ki te panoni āhuarangi i ngā wāhi tika, ki te āwhina i ngā hapori ki te aromatawai i ngā kōwhiringa urutau (taea noatia te whakatahinga whakahaere) me te tāmau i te aumangea ki te panoni āhuarangi puta noa i ngā mahi katoa a te Kāwanatanga.
Mā te mahi tahi, ka taea e tātou te whakaheke i tō tātou noho whakaraerae ki ngā mōrea panoni āhuarangi, te whakarei i tō tātou kaha ki te urutau me te whakapakari i tō tātou aumangea ki te āhuarangi panoni haere.
Ka whai pānga te panoni āhuarangi ki ngā wāhi e hiahia ana tātou ki te noho, ki te āhua o ngā mahi pāmu, ki te āhua e whakahaeretia ai ō tātou pakihi, me ngā āhua e whakarite ai kia noho haumaru tātou. Hei whakaputa i ngā whakataunga papai, me aromatawai i ngā tūraru āhuarangi ka pā ināianei, hei āpōpō anō hoki, ki ō tātou kāinga, pakihi, me ngā hapori.
Mā te mahere urutaunga ā-motu e āhei ai ngā tāngata o Aotearoa te whakatau i runga i te mōhio pai ake ki ngā tūraru. Hei whakarite kia whai urunga te katoa ki ngā mōhio, taputapu, tikanga, ārahitanga e hou ana me te hāngai, mā te Kāwanatanga e:
He roa te tauoranga o ngā taiao e hangaia ana. He mea tino nui ā tātou whakataunga i tēnei wā mō ngā āhua me ngā wāhi o ā mātou mahi whakawhanake. Me noho aumangea rawa ngā whare, ngā tūāhanga me ngā hapori ki ngā pāpātanga o te panoni āhuarangi, ka mutu, me whakakaha i tō tātou āhei ki te urutau ki te āhuarangi e panoni ana.
Hei whakarite kia arataki ō tātou pūnaha whakamahere me te haumi ki ngā tūāhanga i te whanaketanga e manawaroa ana ki te panoni āhuarangi ki ngā wāhi tika me te āta aro ki ngā tūraru e panoni tonu ana, mā te Kāwanatanga e:
Me whakamahi ngā kaunihera i te mana kei a rātou i tēnei wā ki te whakariterite i te whakawhanaketanga e manawaroa ana ki te panoni āhuarangi ki ngā wāhi tika. Me whakamahi rātou i ngā tauari āhuarangi e tūtohutia ana e te mahere urutaunga ā-motu ina tuhituhi me te whakaumu tauākī kaupapahere me ngā mahere.
Noho whakaraerae kē ai te maha o ngā hapori ki ngā takahanga pūmate ao tūturu. Ka piki tonu te kaha me te auau o aua takahanga i roto i te wā, ko te panoni āhuarangi te take. Ka āhei te kāwanatanga, ngā pakihi me ngā hapori te whai whakaaro ki te whānuitanga o ngā kōwhiringa hei whakaiti mōrea.
Arā te huhuatanga o ngā kōwhiringa urutaunga hei whakahaere me te urupare ki ngā mōrea āhuarangi rerekē.
Hei tautoko kaunihera, hapori, pakihi me ngā tangata takitahi kia whai whakaaro me te mārama ki ngā kōwhiringa urutaunga e wātea ana i ō rātou takiwā, mā te Kāwanatanga e:
Mā te Kāwanatanga te aumangea ki te panoni āhuarangi e tāmau puta noa i te katoa o ana rautaki, kaupapahere anō hoki.
Ka hauora ana, ka kanorau ana ngā pūnaha rauropi, ka tōtika ake pea tō rātou urutau ki ngā mōrearea āhuarangi. Hei tautoko i ngā pūnaha rauropi hauora me te tūhonohono, e matomato ai ngā pūnaha rauropi, mā te Kāwanatanga e:
He tino wāhanga rawa tō ngā kāinga, whare me ngā wāhi ki tō tātou hauora, toiora me te āhua o te noho. Mā te whakariterite i te whakawhanaketanga e manawaroa ana ki te panoni āhuarangi ki ngā wāhi tika, me te whakatakoto i ngā tūāpapa e whai whakaarohia ai e ngā hapori ngā kōwhiringa ka whakarite kia manawaroa rātou ki te āhuarangi panoni, me te tautoko i ngā tāngata me ngā haproi kia taurikura. Hei tāpiritanga atu ki aua mahi, mā te Kāwanatanga e:
Ka whakarato te tūāhanga i ngā ratonga e whakawhirinaki ai tātou mō te ora, te mahi, te ako, me te tākaro. Hei whakaheke i te noho whakaraerae o ngā rawa e tū ana i tēnei wā, me te whakarite kia tika te tūāhanga hou mō te āhuarangi e panoni ana, mā te Kāwanatanga e:
He kanorau ngā hapori, me te aha ka kite wheako i ngā pāpātanga o te panoni āhuarangi mā ngā āhua rerekē. Mā te hanga me te tautiaki hapori pakari e whai taputapu tika ngā tāngata o Aotearoa ki te urutau. Hei tautoko i ngā hapori manawaroa kua whakahikotia ki te urupare ki ngā tūraru, mā te Kāwanatanga e:
Pāngia kētia ai tō tātou ōhanga e ngā pāpānga o te panoni āhuarangi, pēnei i ngā waipuke, ngā tauraki me te pikinga o te tai moana. Hei whakarite kia noho manawaroa tō tātou ōhanga ki te āhuarangi e panoni ana, me te āta whakamahi i ngā arawātea ka tūpono mai, mā te Kāwanatanga e:
He mea waiwai te whakamaru i te kanorau koiora me ngā pūnaha hauropi ki tō tātou urupare āhuarangi. Ka taea e ō tātou pūnaha hauropi puiaki te mahi hei pākai mā tātou ki ngā pāpātanga o te panoni āhuarangi, te roki waro, te tautoko i te kanorau koiora me te whakapiki i te toiora o ngā hapori.
Hei whakatutuki ngātahi i ngā mōrearea āhuarangi me te kanorau koiora, mā te Kāwanatanga e:
Ka pāngia tātou katoa e te panoni āhuarangi mā ngā āhua rerekē. Me noho takatū tātou katoa, ā, kua whai tūnga tātou katoa i ngā mahi whakapakari i te manawaroa o Aotearoa ki ngā panoni āhuarangi.
Kore rawa e ōrite te pānga o te panoni āhuarangi ki ngā hapori rerekē. E whai whakaarohia ana ngā hapori he iti iho tō rātou kaha ki te urutau, me ērā hoki ka tino pāngia rawatia e te panoni āhuarangi, puta noa i tēnei mahere – tae atu ki ngā Māori, ngā iwi o Te Moananui-a-Kiwa, ngā hapori mātāwaka, ngā rōpū he iti tā rātou moniwhiwhi, ngā tāngata hauā, te hunga mātāpuputu, ngā wāhine, ngā tamariki, ngā taiohi me ngā hapori taiwhenua.
Ko tā mātou he whakarite i te panoni mana ōrite mō te Māori, mā te Māori e arataki ki te hāpai i ngā motika me ngā pānga Māori i raro i Te Tiriti o Waitangi. E tutuki ai te panoni mana ōrite, me whakapakari i ngā hononga Māori-Karauna kaha, kia taea ai te koke i ā tātou mahi urupare hei hoa pātui.
Kua whakaahutia e te kōkiritanga panoni āhuarangi, Te Ihirangi, e aratakina ana e te Māori te anga Rauora, tērā ka whakatōpū mai i ngā uara me ngā mātāpono Māori hei tirohanga ā-ao taketake ki te panoni āhuarangi. Mā te anga e kitea ai te āhua e whakakokea ai te rautaki urutaunga me te mahere urutaunga ā-motu.
Mā te whakaata i te mātāpono o te tūhonohonotanga, koia ko te uho o te anga Rauora, ka para ngātahi tēnei mahere me te mahere whakaheke tukunga i te huarahi e mahi tahi ai te Māori me te kāwanatanga ki te:
Ka whakarite ngā menamena ki te Ture Urupare ki te Panoni Āhuarangi 2002 i te whakaotinga o ngā mahere urutaunga ā-motu.
Ka whakaputaina te aromatawai tūraru panoni āhuarangi ā-motu tuatahi.
Ka mahi ngātahi te Kāwanatanga me ngāi Māori ki te hoahoa i tētahi pūhara mō ngā mahi whakamauru panoni āhuarangi.
Te wā me oti te pūrongo whakamutunga me ngā tūtohunga mō te arotake i Te Anamata mō ngā Kaunihera
Ka whakatinanahia te Tauākī Kaupapahere ā-Motu mō te Kanorau Koiora Taketake
Ka whakaputaina te Mahere Urutaunga Āhuarangi a Waka Kotahi.
Ka uakina te rautaki mātauranga tūmatanui mō ngā pūmate ao tūturu
Ka tautuhi te anga whakamahere ā-motu i te ahunga mō te urutaunga me te whakahaere pūmate o te ao tūturu
Ka wātea ngā whakahou mō ngā Tikanga Hanga Whare
Ka kōmitimitia te tūraru āhuarangi ki ngā whakataunga a Te Tai Ōhanga.
Ka whakatakoto ngā mahere paetawhiti i te aronga rautaki mā ngā hapori.
Te whanaketanga haere tonu o ngā rautaki whaitua ā-rohe me ngā mahere o te Ture Taiao Tūturu me te Hanga
On page 47, in the box titled: “Critical Action 3.1 Provide access to the latest climate projections data”
The line: “By January 2023, national climate projection datasets for Aotearoa will be available.”
Should read: “By January 2023, national climate projection datasets for Aotearoa are being produced.”
Urutau, ka taurikura: Kia tū pakari a Aotearoa i ngā huringa āhuarangi Adapt and thrive: Building a climate-resilient New Zealand – New Zealand's first national adaptation plan
August 2022
© Ministry for the Environment