Enabling Coastal Adaptation

Margaret Low, GNS Science

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Enabling Coastal Adaptation

State Phase 2
Duration 2019 – 2024
Budget / Funding $1100000
Project Leader(s)
Judy Lawrence
Te Herenga Waka Victoria University of Wellington
Paula Blackett
NIWA

Vision

Coastal adaptation planning in Aotearoa New Zealand is supported by detailed risk and vulnerability assessments and a suite of consistent and proactive guidance and tools.

Project description

Coastal areas of Aotearoa New Zealand are experiencing major impacts from rising sea levels and worsening storms which cause our coastal areas and rivers to flood. Traditionally used adaptation strategies that ‘protect’ and ‘accommodate’ are becoming increasingly ineffective, short-lived and expensive to maintain. Decision-makers in Aotearoa New Zealand urgently need new adaptive planning approaches, policies and tools that address coastal changes and allow for the uncertainties surrounding the magnitude and rate of sea-level rise.

Our research will provide decision-makers with the guidance and tools they need to proactively plan for successful coastal adaptation, resulting in positive outcomes for community wellbeing and safety, and resilient infrastructure, in the face of ever-changing risk conditions.

To achieve this, we are working with central and local government, hapū and iwi on four closely related sub-projects to:

  • Map exposure to sea-level rise and flooding risk, linked to demographic, social and economic indices.
  • Develop Aotearoa New Zealand based guidance and training materials for the implementation of coastal vulnerability assessments.
  • Develop flexible, adaptive approaches for enabling, evaluating and implementing Dynamic Adaptive Pathways Planning in coastal and estuarine areas.
  • Develop adaptation approaches for coastal infrastructure incuding roads.

Our goal is to provide Aotearoa New Zealand with the guidance and methodologies for proactive and flexible adaptation to support effective coastal planning.

Resource Outputs from this project

Article

A novel illustration of real options analysis to address the problem of probabilities under deep uncertainty and changing climate risk

Two novel applications from New Zealand of real options analysis that formed part of actual decision processes.

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Report

Assessing Social Vulnerability to Climate Change at the Coast

Determining who is most vulnerable to climate change impacts in coastal areas to assist decision-makers in prioritising the focus of climate adaptation efforts.

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Article

Engaging diverse knowledge holders in adaptation research

G. Cundill, B. Harvey, D. Ley, C. Singh, B. Huson, P. Aldunce, R. Biesbroek, J. Lawrence, D. Morchain, J. Nalau, N.P. Simpson, E. Totin 2024…

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Webinar

Toitū te Whenua

How can mātauranga Māori and modern approaches to adaptation protect the cultural identity and wellbeing of Māori?

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Article

Modelling economic risk to sea-level rise and storms at the coastal margin

What drives communities to respond to coastal inundation risk and where are their tolerance thresholds for change?

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Article

Simulating the Impacts of an Applied Dynamic Adaptive Pathways Plan Using an Agent-Based Model: A Tauranga City, New Zealand, Case Study

How long are different protections from relative sea-level rise (RSLR) likely to remain effective?

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Report

A Decade of Dynamic Adaptive Decision-making tools in New Zealand – Practice applications, lessons learned and next steps

Summary of a symposium held in March 2023 to mark 10 years since New Zealand introduced dynamic adaptive pathways planning approaches for addressing climate change.

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Policy Briefing

Enabling Coastal Adaptation: Use of Existing Legislation

Under coastal housing and urban development pressure, how can we use existing legislation to better enable coastal adaptation?

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Article

Adaptation of coastal protection infrastructure

Blakely, H., Quilter, P., Smith, S., Witney, M., Shand, T. & Whittaker, C. (2022). Adaptation of coastal protection infrastructure. Special Publication #5 - Coastal Adaptation,…

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Article

A novel illustration of real options analysis to address the problem of probabilities under deep uncertainty and changing climate risk.

Stroombergen, A. & Lawrence, Judy. (2022). A novel illustration of real options analysis to address the problem of probabilities under deep uncertainty and changing climate…

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Article

Adapting to Avoidable and Unavoidable Climate Change: What must Aotearoa New Zealand do?

Judy Lawrence, Anita Wreford and Sylvia Allan, New Zealand Planning Quarterly, Volume 18, Issue 2, May 2022.

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Article

Inadequacy Revealed and the Transition to Adaptation as Risk Management in New Zealand

Lawrence J, Allan S and Clarke L (2021) Inadequacy Revealed and the Transition to Adaptation as Risk Management in New Zealand. Front. Clim. 3:734726. doi:…

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Report

Economic evaluation methodologies to support proactive adaptation to sea-level rise

Adolf Stroombergen, Judy Lawrence (2021). Economic evaluation methodologies to support proactive adaptation to sea-level rise. Wellington, New Zealand: Resilience to Nature’s Challenges National Science Challenge…

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Report

Enabling Coastal Adaptation: Using current legislative settings for managing the transition to a dynamic adaptive planning regime in New Zealand

Judy Lawrence, Sylvia Allan, Larissa Clarke (2021). Using current legislative settings for managing the transition to a dynamic adaptive planning regime in New Zealand. Wellington:…

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Article

Climate services transformed: Decision-making practice for the coast in a changing climate

Reducing coastal exposure and vulnerability requires a transformation in the development and delivery of climate services, and an understanding of the decision-making and policy context.

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Article

Pathways to Coastal Retreat: The shrinking solution space for adaptation calls for long-term dynamic planning starting now

Marjolijn Haasnoot, Judy Lawrence, Alexandre K. Magnan (2021) Pathways to Coastal Retreat, 2021, Science, Vol 372, Issue 6548. doi:10.1126/science.abi6594

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Article

Ramping up social vulnerability assessments for coastal adaptation and transformation

J. Jozaei, R. Bell, R. Blackett, S. Stephens, M. de Boer, N. Golubiewski, I. Dawe, J. Joynts, M. Hacknell, J. Boyle, J. Lawrence. New Zealand…

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Article

Applying principals of uncertainty within coastal hazard assessments to better support coastal adaptation.

Stephens SA, Bell RG, Lawrence J. 2017. Applying principles of uncertainty within coastal hazard assessments to better support coastal adaptation. Journal of Marine Science and…

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Article

Climate change adaptation in New Zealand

Schneider P, Glavovic B. 2019. Climate change adaptation in New Zealand. In: Cutter SL, editor. Oxford research encyclopedia of natural hazard science. Oxford (GB): Oxford…

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Report

Reducing risk through the management of existing uses: Tensions under the RMA.

Grace E, France-Hudson B, Kilvington M. 2019. Reducing risk through the management of existing uses: Tensions under the RMA. Lower Hutt (NZ): GNS Science. 10…

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Report

Managing existing uses in areas at high risk from natural hazards: an issues paper.

Grace E, France-Hudson B, Kilvington M. 2018. Managing existing uses in areas at high risk from natural hazards: an issues paper. Lower Hutt (NZ): GNS…

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Article

Cascading climate change impacts and implications

Lawrence J, Blackett P, Cradock-Henry NA. 2020. Cascading climate change impacts and implications. Climate Risk Management. 29:100234. doi:10.1016/j.crm.2020.100234.

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Article

Sandy beaches can survive sea-level rise

Cooper JAG, Masselink G, Coco G, Short AD, Castelle B, Rogers K, Anthony E, Green AN, Kelley JT, Pilkey OH, et al. 2020. Sandy beaches…

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Article

A Practice Brief: Adaptation transition at the coast

Lawrence J, Bell R, Blackett P, Ryan E, Robichaux L. 2019. A practice brief: adaptation transition at the coast Planning Quarterly. 214.

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Article

Co-creating resilience solutions to coastal hazards through a transdisciplinary research project in New Zealand.

Kench PS, Ryan EJ, Owen S, Bell R, Lawrence J, Glavovic B, Blackett P, Becker J, Schneider P, Allis M, et al. 2018. Co-creating resilience…

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Article

Science to practice: understanding how natural hazard and climate science can be incorporated into land use plans.

Kilvington M, Saunders W. 2017. Science to practice: understanding how nature hazard and climate science can be incorporated into land use plans. Planning Quarterly. 205:8-12.

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Article

National guidance for adapting to coastal hazards and sea-level rise: Anticipating change, when and how to change pathway.

Lawrence J, Bell R, Blackett P, Stephens S, Allan S. 2018. National guidance for adapting to coastal hazards and sea-level rise: Anticipating change, when and…

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Article

A Hybrid Process to Address Uncertainty and Changing Climate Risk in Coastal Areas Using Dynamic Adaptive Pathways Planning, Multi-Criteria Decision Analysis & Real Options Analysis: A New Zealand Application

Lawrence J, Bell R, Stroombergen A. 2019. A hybrid process to address uncertainty and changing climate risk in coastal areas using dynamic adaptive pathways planning,…

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Article

Fuzzy cognitive mapping: Proposed assessment framework for coastal risk management project processes

Robichaux L, Owen S, Kench P. 2018. Fuzzy cognitive mapping: proposed assessment framework for coastal risk management project processes. In. Lynett P, editor. 36th International…

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Article

Preparing for Sea-Level Rise through Adaptive Managed Retreat of a New Zealand Stormwater and Wastewater Network

Can these networks continue to be adapted/protected over time to retain Levels of Service, or will retreat eventually be the only viable adaptation option?

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Article

Retreat is not an option: Managing effects of sea-level rise on a critical infrastructure corridor in Wellington, New Zealand

Allis MJ, Bell RG. 2019. Retreat is not an option: managing effects of sea-level rise on a critical infrastructure corridor in Wellington, New Zealand. In:…

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Article

A rising tide of adaptation action: Comparing two coastal regions of Aotearoa New Zealand

Schneider P, Lawrence J, Glavovic B, Ryan E, Blackett P. 2020. A rising tide of adaptation action: Comparing two coastal regions of Aotearoa-New Zealand. Climate…

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Article

Anticipating staged managed retreat at the coastal margins.

Owen S, Lawrence J, Ryan E, Kench P, Bell R, Rennie H, Blackett P, Schneider P. 2018. Coastal management: anticipating staged managed retreat. Planning Quarterly.…

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Article

Implementing pre-emptive managed Retreat: Constraints and Novel Insights.

Lawrence J, Boston J, Bell R, Olufson S, Kool R, Hardcastle M, Stroombergen A. 2020. Implementing pre-emptive managed retreat: constraints and novel insights. Current Climate…

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Article

The planning nexus between disaster risk reduction and climate change adaptation.

Lawrence J, Saunders W. 2017. The planning nexus between disaster risk reduction and climate change adaptation. In: Kelman I, Mercer J, Gaillard J, editors. The…

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Article

Formulating a 100-year strategy for managing coastal hazard risk in a changing climate: Lessons learned from Hawke’s Bay, New Zealand

A thematic analysis of key themes and lessons.

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Report

Evaluating Social Vulnerability to Climate Change in Coastal Aotearoa New Zealand: Pitfalls and Opportunities.

Identifying opportunities to leverage innovative international practice to enhance Aotearoa’s approach to analysing social vulnerability in coastal locations.

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Article

Inadequacy Revealed and the Transition to Adaptation as Risk Management in New Zealand

How practice under the existing planning framework has exposed people and assets to greater risk, and how current law and practice can support more effective climate risk management.

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Article

Preparing for Sea-Level Rise through Adaptive Managed Retreat of a New Zealand Stormwater and Wastewater Network

Can such networks continue to be adapted/protected over time or is eventual retreat the only viable adaptation option?

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