Responding to, and preparing for, extreme weather events have become some of New Zealand’s most pressing challenges as the impacts of climate change become more prevalent.
So Niwa has launched a $5 million-per-year package of new projects, aimed at tackling them.
Niwa already does extensive research in forecasting, climate change and extreme weather, natural hazards, atmospheric science and Māori environmental research, but chief executive John Morgan said this new investment would allow Niwa to "double down" on efforts in those areas.
Following Cyclone Gabrielle and other extreme weather events earlier this year, Niwa urgently reprioritised some of its research to gather data in the immediate aftermath and help affected communities recover from the events.
"This was complemented shortly afterwards by additional government funding to expedite our research into flood prediction and hazard risk assessment.
"These new investments will accelerate our efforts to increase New Zealand’s ability to respond to and prepare for future extreme weather events.
"As we have seen across the world in recent years, some of the biggest impacts of climate change have been increases in extreme weather events — such as storms, floods, droughts and wild fires.
"We know that such extreme events are going to become more frequent and more intense, and we need to be better prepared.
"Advanced, high-precision forecasts that link different hazards, such as rainfall with river flooding, will help all New Zealanders — including iwi, emergency managers, government, councils and the public — to face the challenges our changing climate brings."
Mr Morgan said the new package included an additional $2.3m per year for extreme weather-related research, including forecasting impacts from extreme weather and also to support climate change resilient infrastructure development.
An additional $1.85m per year had been allocated to work with Māori on climate adaptation and to better deliver Niwa science to iwi/hapu and Māori businesses.
Niwa was also investing in new projects to fast-track solar and wind forecasts for renewable energy production and to measure and verify agricultural greenhouse gas emission reductions.
A Niwa spokesman said while it was still in the scoping phase for the two projects on severe weather impact forecasting and climate change hazards resilience, it aimed to have "a regional perspective" involving local organisations, focusing on areas where there had been recent flooding, such as the West Coast and Hawke’s Bay/Tairawhiti.
The wind/solar electricity generation forecasting project may include some locations in the South, he said.
