WELLINGTON, Dec. 15 (Xinhua) -- New reports released by the New Zealand government on Friday showed a clearer picture of the scale and urgency over climate change, along with guidance on managing and adapting to the results of global warming, said Climate Change Minister James Shaw.
The Climate Change Adaptation Technical Working Group's Stocktake report shows the size of the task to build New Zealand's resilience to rising sea levels, a warmer climate, extreme weather and other impacts of climate change.
"It's important that New Zealanders have a clear picture of the potential impacts of climate change so that communities, local and central government, business and other sectors of our economy can make well-informed decisions about how we build resilience and adapt," Shaw said in a statement.
The Stocktake report shows that New Zealand has significant information about what is happening to the climate and the impacts of change. However, not all of this information is in forms that support decision-making and there are some key gaps in the government's knowledge, Shaw said.
The report also notes that New Zealand is in the early stages of planning and currently lacks a coordinated plan on how to adapt to climate change. "While some sectors and areas are proactive, in general we react to events rather than preparing for them," it said.
The Coastal Hazards and Climate Change guidance, also released on Friday, supports this work by providing clear guidance to councils and communities on how to manage and adapt to the increased coastal hazard risks posed by climate change and sea level rise.
The guidance, produced by the National Institute of Water and Atmospheric Research (NIWA) will encourage good decision-making so that New Zealand faces fewer risks from climate change in coastal areas, in a way that is fair to residents and consistent around the country, Shaw said.
The working group's panel of experts includes representatives from central and local government, finance and insurance sectors, science and communities.
