by Saraid Black, University of Auckland
Understanding the impact of the extreme weather that hit Aotearoa in early 2023 is the focus of a new study by this country’s largest longitudinal study of child health and wellbeing – Growing Up in New Zealand.
The ‘Extreme Weather Survey’ will connect with around 1400 families in the study from the regions hardest hit by the Auckland Anniversary Day floods and Cyclone Gabrielle, including Te Taitokerau/Northland, Te Matau-a-Maui/Hawkes Bay, and Te Tairawhiti/Gisborne and parts of southern and western Tāmaki Makaurau.
The initiative is part of the Government’s urgent research and science response to assess the impact of these extreme weather events. The Ministry for Business Innovation and Employment is funding several projects, including the Extreme Weather Survey, to collect evidence to inform both the recovery efforts and future planning.
The survey is an opportunity for families to help shape how the government and service delivery agencies can best support young people and their families in similar events in the future.
The survey will run throughout the month of August with reporting expected towards the end of the year.
