New Zealand’s Changing Coastline

We currently have an incomplete knowledge of how our coastline is changing, where and at what rate. Coastal erosion is a significant hazard facing coastal communities throughout Aotearoa New Zealand. The risk exposure of coastal communities and infrastructure is rapidly increasing as sea-level rise accelerates and a legacy of poor coastal planning decisions takes effect.

We are creating a national coastal-change database to understand the nature and causes of past changes and to maintain a record of ongoing changes to help anticipate the future.