Tuesday 16 June 2015

Sea level rise and acknowledgement of climate change in New Zealand

Media history has been made in New Zealand.

For the first time that I know off the connection between extreme weather events, such as the recent storm surge in Wellington, and climate change, has been made in NZ media.

The elephant in the room has been acknowledged - sort of.

The following is a (note very professionally produced) discussion of this news and what it means

--SMR


Retreat from coast may be 'inevitable'
Coastal parts of New Zealand are becoming more vulnerable to extreme weather events and scientists say retreating from certain areas may end up being the only option.


Locals say during a bad storm the waves go over the top of this house in Haumoana


16 June 2015

Damaging waves, like those that battered Wellington's south coast on Sunday, are predicted to occur more often as sea levels continue to rise.

Victoria University professor of physical geography James Renwick said coastal erosion, caused by climate change, was the most pressing issue facing the country.

"We're a long, narrow country with a lot of coast and a lot of people live near the coast ... and if one thing is for sure, it's that sea levels are rising.
"It does pose a very serious problem," he said.

He said reversing the effects of climate change was almost impossible but said the sooner carbon emissions were reduced, the less the sea levels would rise.

Dr Renwick said managed retreat from coastal areas was an emotive topic but one that could not be avoided.

"Over time we do have to look at moving back from the present coastline because the coastline is going to move inland - that's the reality."

Ocean erosion threatens the coastal route.Ocean erosion threatens the coastal route in Otago.
Photo: RNZ
MetService meteorologist Georgina Griffiths said extreme weather events were a combination of rising sea levels and daily weather patterns such as a high tide or strong onshore wind.

She said the forecast El Nino meant Wellington would probably experience more damaging storms over winter and spring.

The Kaikoura coast, Gisborne and Hawke's Bay and parts of Auckland were also "very vulnerable" to high tides and a "stormy onshore event".

A road closed at Lyall Bay due to storm surges in June. A road closed at Lyall Bay on the weekend due to storm surges.- Photo: Stephen Lynch

Wellington city councillor David Lee said people seemed to believe climate change was something to deal with in 50 or 100 years but its effects were already being experienced.

Mr Lee said protecting coastal areas or lifting at-risk properties were options, but ultimately the discussion about managed retreat from some land needed to be had.

"[It's] quite a big call because it means almost abandoning certain areas and saying these areas are not suitable to development ... and maybe there is no ability to actually protect."

NIWA scientist Richard Gorman studies wave patterns and said rising sea levels were undoubtedly causing more damaging waves.

He said New Zealand needed to think about climate change on a global scale because the country was often affected by storms in other parts of the world.
Earlier this month, Local Government New Zealand announced it was looking at establishing a risk management agency.

Councils around the country, including Wellington, Auckland and Christchurch, are incorporating natural hazard protection into their long-term planning.

Crews cleaned up road damage on Wellington's southern coast.Cleaning up road damage on Wellington's southern coast in 2013. Photo: Simon Baumfield

Related- 





Storm surges new normal, says mayor
As council workers mop up on Wellington's South Coast after yesterday's storm, Wellington mayor Celia Wade-Brown warns it could be the new normal for parts of the capital.


The waves closed the road between the eastern end of Lyall Bay to Moa Point Road.
The waves closed the road between the eastern end of Lyall Bay to Moa Point Road.

15 June 2015

As high tide struck at about 2.45pm, four-metre waves flooded properties and washed debris and rocks onto coastal roads.
The road between the eastern end of Lyall Bay to Moa Pt Road, and the Airport tunnel, were closed for 24 hours after large swells washed up rocks and debris.
Wellington City Council crews worked to clear the debris and reopened the road about 4.30pm today but warned it remained slippery because of mud.

Cape Palliser Road on the Wairarapa coast, which opened for essential traffic today, has now been closed to all vehicles.

Wellington City Council said considerable work was going into planning for future swells which could gradually erode the coast line.

Ms Wade-Brown said despite efforts to improve sea walls, planting and strengthening dunes, some stretches of road were already being undercut.

She said it was a matter of how long such coastal roads lasted when similar storm surges were likely to become more frequent and preventative measures could be taken.
Wellington south coast Several roads on Wellington's south coast are vulnerable to high seas.
Photo: Twitter/ @NickMillsSr

"It was a beautiful, beautiful day yesterday, the storm was well off the coast, but it pushed the great, big southerly in very hard, so Lyall Bay, Island Bay had wonderful views, but it's a bit worrying."

She said Wellington was part of a network of resilient cities and was drawing on expertise from around the world where cities were coping with similar problems.
The proposed runway expansion to Wellington airport was being designed with storm surges and higher sea levels in mind, and was based on estimated sea levels 100 years from now.

But the cost to infrastructure caused by sea level rises was being borne by ratepayers, Ms Wade-Brown said, and its underlying cause of carbon emissions must be addressed at a national level.

"Let's look back at the initial causes of some of this, not just mopping up the symptoms," she said.

A passer-by watches high waves roll in during a storm surge at Lyall Bay on Wellington's South Coast.A passer-by watches high waves roll in during a storm surge at Lyall Bay on Wellington's South Coast. Photo: Stephen Lynch
Some took advantage of the big swell.Some residents took advantage of the big well.   Photo: Stephen Lynch
The tides washed up rocks near Wellington Airport.The tides washed up rocks near Wellington Airport.  Photo: Wellington City Council
A road closed at Lyall Bay due to storm surges in June.



Another shot of the closed road near the airport.
Photo: Stephen Lynch

Related


To see TVNZ coverage GO HERE

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