Becoming Floodwise: Awareness and action for Aotearoa

Abstract

Flooding is Aotearoa New Zealand’s most frequent damaging natural hazard, and over 750,000 people live in areas that could be affected by flooding. Hundreds of thousands of buildings are identified as being located in flood hazard areas, valued at approximately $235 billion. The majority of these buildings are peoples’ homes.

As a result of climate change, storms are getting more intense and harder to predict, and development is still happening in flood-prone areas. Together, these challenges make it harder to keep people and communities informed and safe from harm.