Programme

As an island nation with high rainfall, flooding and sea level rise pose threats to economic and social activities on floodplains and at the coast. Decisions in such locations need to be adaptive, to recognise when thresholds may be crossed and to deal with changes before they happen. In this way, decision makers can avoid or reduce the consequent damage and costs.

The mission of the Deep South Challenge is to “enable New Zealanders to adapt, manage risk and thrive in a changing climate”. New and practical tools are needed to enable decision makers to respond appropriately to climate related impacts, to limit damage and costs to the nation and its communities. With uncertainty about the timing and magnitude of climate change impacts, local government and infrastructure providers in particular need new and adaptive decision-making tools that take into account changing risk profiles. The Dynamic Adaptive Pathways Planning (DAPP) approach is an assessment tool for developing adaptation options. It helps decision makers consider the conditions under which policies will fail to reduce risks, and provides stress-test options using plausible socioeconomic scenarios of the future.

The project is focussing on flood and sea level rise management, enabling decision makers to move, over time, towards sustainable pathways that are more climate resilient. This approach was first developed in the Netherlands, and follows on from the successful development and application of the DAPP approach with local and regional councils in New Zealand, led by Victoria University of Wellington with support from Ministry for the Environment.

Research and findings:
Supporting decision making through adaptive tools in a changing climate, Judy Lawrence, Deep South Symposium