Councils do not know where to start on the climate threat

Councils are struggling to plan for the future rise in sea level – and their biggest obstacle seems to be deciding where to begin.

According to a prominent Niwa scientist, now holding national workshops with several other experts, and who wants to

Two-thirds of Kiwis live in flood-prone areas, and $ 200 billion in public goods and property. 39, infrastructures are threatened by the rise of the seas

. Bell is part of a team that is currently working on localized projections ranging from storm surge to saltwater incursion in aquifers, estuaries and wetlands.

Bell also co-authored separate boards for boards that range from half a meter to 1.4. m from the sea level rise by 2120, depending on how global emissions will follow during this period.

"I think the tips usually know that there is a problem and want to go ahead, but what I've withheld, is they do not know by where to start – often the biggest obstacle is getting out of the starting blocks.

The Niwa Workshops, organized by the Ministry of the Environment with the support of the Deep South National Science Challenge, were addressed to Council Staff, Engineers, Planners and Operators. # 39; s infrastructure.

Their advice included how to bring teams together to tackle this problem and what they should do in their communities

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"We must continue to do something now despite uncertainty," he said.

"Decisions can not wait, so we're suggesting that adaptive planning and tracking progress toward decision points is the best tool in the box. "

Adaptive planning offered boards several options

" Every coastal situation is different – some problems are imminent Advice Communities need to train when they need to adapt and what are the options in the short and long term offered to them, "says Bell.

" When they approach a threshold, they can then decide what options they should implement. "

Monitoring what was happening would tell boards what sea level rise scenario is playing and they should slow down or speed up their planning

" Any decision made now will have impact on flexibility but it's important to know what's coming up, what's the threshold and having a plan to move on.

New Zealand's local government president, Dave Cull, insisted on getting ready early. in Christchurch during the weekend.

million. Cull felt that it was urgent to define the roles and responsibilities of central and local governments, including a new legal framework that would give boards more support and incentive to act. 59002] He acknowledged that many boards did not understand the risks in their area, and that more resources were often needed to help them.

"Some councils have proposals or ideas, but there are legal challenges. boards are reluctant to take risks because of impending costs.

At the national level, the High Level Technical Working Group on Climate Change Adaptation provided the government with a list of 21 recommendations to focus on as a priority. the recommendations included amending the Local Government Act 2002 to specify adaptation to climate change as a function of local government and remove legal barriers so that work can be done more easily.

The adaptation itself could be divided into four categories: avoiding places exposed to the impacts of climate change; to withdraw from these places over time; accommodate changes Elsewhere, more investment was needed in science and research, a new "centralized service" to provide expert advice, more climate-focused capabilities in the public and private sectors, and funding structures. In the short term, said the group, the government should make adaptation a priority – for itself, boards and the public – and incorporate some of the most important "core" recommendations into its report. Climate Change Minister James Shaw said public comment on the law, which ends Thursday night, included these central proposals – namely requiring a national climate change risk "Although final policy decisions do not have not yet taken, I intend to seek Cabinet approval in the coming months to undertake a risk assessment, "said Shaw

. In addition, the Productivity Commission is investigating how the local government is funded, and this survey will take note of the financial demands that local councils face when dealing with the risks and impacts of climate change.