This guidance document helps ensure coastal hazards and climate change are being factored into planning in coastal areas.
The Coastal hazards and climate change guidance is a tool to help decision makers consider the potential effects of climate change, now and in the future, based on the latest scientific information. This includes a 10-step process to assess the risks and determine what actions to take.
This guidance does not describe what will or won’t happen with climate change or sea-level rise in any specific area.
This guidance document helps ensure coastal hazards and climate change are being factored into planning in coastal areas.
The Coastal hazards and climate change guidance is a tool to help decision makers consider the potential effects of climate change, now and in the future, based on the latest scientific information. This includes a 10-step process to assess the risks and determine what actions to take.
This guidance does not describe what will or won’t happen with climate change or sea-level rise in any specific area.
Key updates
- Advances in sea-level rise science and updated global projections from the IPCC’s Sixth Assessment Report
- New relative sea-level rise projections and vertical land movement estimates from the NZ SeaRise Programme
- Advances in knowledge relating to the types of coastal hazards (such as sea-level rise, storms, flooding, or rising groundwater) and how they interact with each other
- Updated guidance on carrying out risk assessments and adaptation pathways planning.
This guidance is an update to the 2017 Coastal hazards and climate change: guidance for local government and the Interim guidance on the use of new sea-level rise projections released in 2022.
Who should use this guidance
The Coastal hazards and climate change guidance is for practitioners involved in land-use planning, resource management, building consenting, asset and flood risk management, and infrastructure planning.
A webinar on the guidance will be held at 1 pm on Wednesday 27 March 2024. The session will be recorded and will include a presentation from the authors and time for questions. To attend, please register here.
Further updates to this guidance
Technical supplementary documents to support the guidance will be published by mid 2024, and will be made available on this page.
Broader guidance on the practical steps to take as part of the adaptation process is expected to be published later in 2024. When this Adaptation Planning Guidance is released, a condensed technical version of the Coastal hazards and climate change guidance will sit alongside it as a companion document.