Mātauranga Māori Reshapes Flood Science at Te Pokohiwi o Kupe

A pioneering research initiative in Te Waipounamu is transforming how Aotearoa New Zealand assesses climate-driven flood risks by integrating mātauranga Māori with advanced earth science. The project, centered on Te Pokohiwi o Kupe (the Wairau Bar near Blenheim), seeks to measure the potential loss of whakapapa and cultural connection—elements often overlooked by traditional economic hazard models. Developed through a collaboration between Rangitāne o Wairau, Earth Sciences New Zealand, and the Marlborough District Council, the initiative has been named a finalist in the New Zealand Science Awards. While scientific projections suggest that up to 75 percent of this low-lying area could be affected by storm events and sea-level rise by 2130, the research team is looking beyond infrastructure and financial costs. The Wairau Bar is one of the earliest known sites of human settlement in Aotearoa, housing wāhi tapu, urupā, and vital archaeological evidence of the first generations of Polynesians to arrive. Supported by funding from the Natural Hazards Commission Toka Tū Ake, the project utilized wānanga and interviews with kaumātua to incorporate intergenerational knowledge of coastal changes into the hazard models. Rangitāne General Manager Corey Hebberd noted that for iwi, the primary concern is the potential erosion of identity and history when significant whenua is damaged. Project lead Dr. Shaun Williams of Earth Sciences New Zealand stated that this represents the first time cultural loss has been measurably represented within such a model in Aotearoa. By combining technical data on erosion and water depth with indicators for ancestral relationships and mahinga kai, the partnership provides a more holistic view of resilience. As repeated weather events since 2022 continue to impact the coastline, this new approach ensures that the protection of whakapapa remains at the forefront of climate adaptation strategies.