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  • Our atmosphere and climate 2023 – an environmental report produced by the Ministry for the Environment and Stats NZ – begins with this whakatauākī:

    Tiakina te kura tū te whiwhianuku, te kura tū te whiwhiarangi, kei roku te taiao.

    Protect the sacred knowledge systems of above and below, to prevent environmental decline.

    Elisha Rolleston, in Our atmosphere and climate 2023

    The whakatauākī reflects the intrinsic connection of Māori knowledge to te taiao. Māori knowledge here is referred to as kura, known to many as the traditional way of referring to mātauranga Māori. It is reflecting the sacredness of knowledge as it pertains to te taiao and the ability for the Māori world view and concepts to contribute to and adapt to the effects of climate change.

    Investigate a Māori insight – māramatanga Māori – regarding our climate and atmosphere.

    Rights: Crown copyright ©, CC BY 4.0

    Our atmosphere and climate 2023 report cover

    Our atmosphere and climate 2023 places a primary emphasis on the effects of climate change on biodiversity and ecosystems. It also describes the impact of climate change on our public health, wellbeing, culture, economy, infrastructure and recreation.

    The report is produced jointly by the Ministry for the Environment and Stats NZ.

    Source: Ministry for the Environment, Stats NZ, and data providers, and licensed by the Ministry for the Environment and Stats NZ for re-use under the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International licence.

    Building resilience and creating change requires individual and collective action. Information provided by scientific sources like the Ministry for the Environment and Stats NZ environmental reporting combined with indigenous knowledge helps us make informed decisions to create this change.

    Continuing an educational collaboration

    The Hub teamed up with the Ministry for the Environment and Stats NZ to create a suite of resources based on their 2020 report – with a focus on science and communicating the issues Aotearoa New Zealand faces due to a changing climate. We’re continuing this collaboration with the 2023 report. This time, our focus reflects the report’s themes of interconnectedness between systems and people and the impacts of climate change on biodiversity and ecosystems.

    This interactive image map displays 6 icons associated with indicators of climate change and climate action.

    Evidence of climate change in Aotearoa

    This interactive uses information from Our atmosphere and climate 2023 – an environmental report produced by the Ministry for the Environment and Stats NZ – to present evidence of climate change in Aotearoa New Zealand.

    Select here to view the full transcript and copyright information.

    Using evidence to assess what may happen

    Our atmosphere and climate 2023 is information oriented. It examines the most up-to-date environmental indicators and recent scientific evidence regarding the changing state of the atmosphere and climate. The report intentionally expands the integration of te ao Māori and mātauranga Māori, as well as Māori research and evidence.

    For the first time, the report uses the growing body of both quantitative and qualitative evidence to provide outlooks – descriptions of how the environment may change in future. The report assesses whether there is high or moderate confidence in the environmental and social changes taking place. It discusses the reasoning that underpins the outlook statements and provides references to data sources.

    With reasonable certainty (high confidence), the report notes:

    • extreme weather events will become increasingly frequent and severe, leaving less time for recovery between events
    • changes in our atmosphere and climate will have significant and enduring impacts on all other environmental domains
    • climate change will increasingly threaten our unique taonga species and rare ecosystems
    • climate change will increase the risk of introduction of new pests and diseases with significant impacts for our biodiversity, food security, health and overall wellbeing.

    With some certainty (moderate confidence), the report notes:

    • climate change will affect the frequency, severity and spatial patterns of severe rainfall and drought, and these events will have negative impacts on our primary industries
    • climate-related impacts will disrupt the transmission of location-specific mātauranga Māori and tikanga practices – however, the report also acknowledges the adaptability of indigenous knowledge.

    It’s not all bad news. There’s moderate confidence that Aotearoa New Zealand’s short to medium-term anthropogenic greenhouse gas emissions are likely to decline. However, it should be noted that emissions are not declining as rapidly as needed.

    The report notes that, even in an information-rich environment, there will always be uncertainty about the future, so the assessments should not be read as statements of fact but as predictions of what may occur based on what we know now. Human intervention – for example, emissions reduction and biosecurity responses – will have an impact on some of the outcomes!

    Nature of science

    The data used in Our atmosphere and climate 2023 comes from many sources, including central and local government and Crown research institutes. Further supporting information is provided using a ‘body of evidence’ approach. This body of evidence includes peer-reviewed published literature as well as mātauranga Māori and observational tools used to identify changes in our atmosphere and climate environment.

    Te ao Māori, whakapapa and our connection to the atmosphere and climate

    Te ao Māori and mātauranga Māori represent a valuable record of our environment that is unique to Aotearoa. It encapsulates a holistic view that acknowledges the intrinsic connection between the atmosphere, climate and the entire environmental system. It recognises the interdependencies and interrelatedness of things, including between people and their environment.

    Whakarongo ki te taiao – listen to the environment.

    The changing state of our atmosphere and climate can be observed through changes in ngā tohu o te taiao. Through observing the environment closely over time, Māori developed a deep knowledge of location-specific environmental indicators, or tohu, which help to monitor and forecast trends in te taiao. Hapū and iwi have developed their own rohe-specific maramataka through close interactions with their local environments and processes. This knowledge provides information about the climate of Aotearoa before the arrival of European settlers that is difficult to ascertain with science alone.

    Building resilience and creating change

    The indicators and outcomes discussed in Our atmosphere and climate 2023 clearly outline the pressures we’ve placed on te taiao. In the months prior to the report’s release, severe weather events devastated several regions in Aotearoa. We’ve clearly seen that we are part of the environment rather than being separate from it.

    Rights: Nurg, CC BY-SA 4.0

    Extreme weather event – Cyclone Gabrielle

    Cyclone Gabrielle caused widespread devastation and destruction of infrastructure. Redclyffe Bridge and many bridges across Hawke’s Bay were destroyed by flooding. A temporary fix, completed 6 months later, enabled this bridge to reopen.

    Human intervention and adaptation can create change. We do not have to be passive victims of climate change. Many Māori communities are using proven and sustainable methods based on mātauranga and values such as active kaitiakitanga to adapt and create Māori-led action on climate change. Technological advances like MethaneSAT and innovative practices in primary production can help us reduce greenhouse gas emissions.

    Building resilience and creating change requires individual and collective action. Information provided by scientific sources like the Ministry for the Environment and Stats NZ environmental reporting combined with indigenous knowledge helps us make informed decisions to create this change.

    Activity idea

    Our climate, our biodiversity, our future is an interactive storymap that uses a collection of stories arranged to show the interconnection of ki uta ki tai – mountains to the sea – which illustrate how the climate is changing, how it impacts our indigenous biodiversity and what is being done to help. This activity helps educators deepen student engagement with the storymap.

    Related content

    Investigate a Māori insight – māramatanga Māori – regarding our climate and atmosphere.

    Professional development resources:

    Climate change resource curations:

    • Our atmosphere and climate – introduction curates a suite of resources developed in collaboration with the Ministry for the Environment and Stats NZ. Resources highlight climate connections and implications for Aotearoa and for Māori. They have a strong focus on evidence and data.
    • Our atmosphere and climate 2020 – a collection focusing on the 2020 report.
    • Climate change – a collection with a focus on the science of climate change and associated socio-scientific issues, including melting ice and sea-level rise.
    • Climate change (HoS) supports the House of Science Climate Change resource kit but it is also useful for anyone exploring what is climate change, ocean acidification, sea and land water, how climate change affects Māori, the Earth’s interacting systems and ideas to tackle these wicked problems in the classroom.

    See our Pinterest Board featuring our collaborations with the Ministry for the Environment and Stats NZ – wrapping educational resources around the state of environment reports.

    Useful links

    Stats NZ and the Ministry for the Environment report on the state of different aspects of the environment every 6 months and the environment as a whole every 3 years. Find their reports here.

    Acknowledgement

    This resource has been produced with the support of the Ministry for the Environment and Stats NZ. © Crown copyright.

    Rights: Crown copyright

    Our atmosphere and climate 2023

    The Ministry for the Environment and Stats NZ produce New Zealand’s Environmental Reporting Series. Our atmosphere and climate 2023 focuses on climate change, with an emphasis on the effects of climate change on biodiversity and ecosystems.

      Published 11 October 2023, Updated 15 February 2024 Referencing Hub articles

        The Ministry of Environment’s Our atmosphere and climate 2023 explores how and why our climate and atmosphere are changing and considers the current and future effects of our changing climate on the things we care about. It includes the integration of te ao Māori and mātauranga Māori as well as Māori research and evidence.

        Rights: Crown copyright 2020

        Climate change impacts on Māori

        This infographic outlines a few of the impacts climate change poses to Māori traditional practices.

        Download this image as a PDF.

        Diagram by Ministry for the Environment, Stats NZ and data providers and released under CC BY-NC-ND 4.0.

        The report cites Māori belief that all living things possess mauri. Mauri is an ao Māori concept that describes the spark of life and active component of that life. It is the binding force that holds together the physical and spiritual components of a being or thing. When the mauri of the atmosphere and climate is unbalanced, it affects all other systems in te taiao, including people. Iwi Māori, as with many other indigenous cultures, have long held a deep connection to the whenua, wai tai and wai māori. This connection transcends the physical sense with the resources from whenua and the wai that provide food, shelter and clothing. The spiritual and cultural relationships iwi have to their taiao is one that defines their being with such resources seen as taonga and tūpuna.

        Rights: Crown Copyright

        Whakapapa

        In te ao Māori, all species are related through whakapapa or kinship relationships. In Māori creation stories, everything in the universe is related back to Ranginui, the sky father and Papatūānuku, the earth mother. This framework binds us all through whakapapa.

        Within te ao Māori, human activities that adversely affect the delicate balance of gases in our atmosphere can have cascading effects. Tikanga Māori are practices and behaviours that are followed at appropriate times by the people who belong to groups such as whānau, hapū, iwi, communities or organisations. The importance of adhering to tikanga lies with the knowledge from experts who understand the ramifications that improper action or inaction can cause. From experiences and observations gathered over centuries, tohunga interpret the subtle shifts in time and seasons to predict various outcomes.

        Pūrākau

        There are many pūrākau that are integral to understanding Māori views of the world, the relationships between people, the universe and atua. The connections to atmosphere and climate span back to the creation of the world. In one version, Papatūānuku and Ranginui were separated and brought to te ao Mārama, the world of light. For many Māori, one of their sons, Tāwhirimātea, is the atua of weather and the parent of kōhauhau and āhuarangi. Tāwhirimātea was angered by the separation of his parents and attacked the siblings who caused it with storms, cyclones, droughts and other extreme weather events. In some pūrākau, because Tāwhirimātea is responsible for carrying the oxygen we breathe, he is thought to reside not only in the atmosphere but also in our lungs.

        Rights: Public domain

        Atua

        In te ao Māori, Papatūānuku is the Earth Mother and Ranginui is the Sky Father. Their children include Tāne (atua of the ngahere), Tangaroa (atua of the ocean and streams), Rongomātāne (atua of cultivated foods like kūmara) and Haumiatiketike (atua of wild/uncultivated foods such as roots of wild plants and fern fronds).

        A Māori perspective on the atmosphere is deeply intertwined with the cultural, spiritual and ecological connection to te ao tūroa, the natural world. It emphasises the interconnectedness of all things and the need for stewardship and respect for the environment, including the atmosphere, which sustains life and has its own spiritual significance in Māori culture.

        Adaption not destruction

        Māori communities are not passive victims of climate change and have a legacy of adaptation over centuries. Mātauranga Māori and other processes are being used to help adapt to climate change through proven and sustainable methods and values such as active kaitiakitanga.

        Rights: Crown copyright ©, CC BY 4.0

        Kaitiakitanga

        Our climate is influenced by the human choices that shape our institutions, economies and innovation processes. Māori have a legacy of adaptation over centuries. Mātauranga Māori and other processes are being used to help adapt to climate change through proven and sustainable methods.

        Māori communities have a history of adaptation and resilience in the face of environmental change. This ability to adapt and change has seen the successful navigation of the Pacific to resettle and flourish in a land with a much cooler climate and geography. Māori have a wealth of traditional knowledge about the environment, weather patterns and natural resource management. This knowledge should be considered a valuable resource for understanding and adapting to climate change. Most importantly, Māori practised what they saw needed to be done in order to not only survive but ensure resources remained for generations to come.

        A changing climate is not new for Māori. Māori have always been scientists through navigating expansive oceans, applying a detailed regionally specific division of time, and being immersed with the natural rhythms of the environment.

        Our atmosphere and climate 2023

        Related content

        Further investigate and consider ways in which climate change is impacting Aotearoa with the activity Utilising Our climate, our biodiversity, our future.

        In this article, read why climate change matters to Māori.

        Climate change resources – planning pathways provides pedagogical hints and includes an interactive planner that groups Hub resources into key science and teaching concepts.

        Read the article Climate connections – why climate change matters.

        Read about some of the organisations responsible for climate change research in New Zealand.

        Useful link

        Explore a collection of stories from Manatū Mō Te Taiao | Ministry for the Environment showing how the environment and biodiversity are impacted by climate and atmosphere change in Aotearoa.

        Acknowledgement

        This māramatanga Māori article has been produced alongside the resource Our atmosphere and climate 2023, a collaboration with the Ministry for the Environment and Stats NZ.

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