The New Zealand government has published comprehensive plans to prepare the country and its people for the catastrophic effects of climate change, such as sea level rise, floods, storms and bushfires. Watchman. The package of proposals was submitted for consultation on Wednesday.
Comprehensive reforms include preventing construction in areas at risk of environmental change, preserving the country’s cultural treasures, preventing huge budgets from being spent on disaster recovery, and strengthening disaster response.
Great care is being taken to ensure that reforms are implemented in such a way that tourism, fisheries and agriculture, which are key sectors, can continue to function smoothly.
“The climate is already changing and there will be impacts that we cannot avoid. In just the past few months, we have had to go through a number of environmental disasters: massive floods in Tirawete, storms in Westport, fires in the southern Wettona wetlands, droughts,” said Climate Minister James Shaw. all over the country”.
The biggest challenge is getting cities and their residents involved in the reforms. The government says the problem is huge: one in seven New Zealanders, about 675,000 people, live in flood-prone areas, and $100 billion worth of properties are at risk of potential environmental damage. In addition, more than 72,000 people live in places where extreme sea level rise is expected.
Proposals include redesigning building standards to make buildings more resistant to environmental disasters and to keep investments away from high-risk areas.
The government’s report found that “the number of people exposed to these threats as a result of climate change will increase,” and found that repairing damages from climate change, floods and droughts between 2007 and 2017 pulled $840 million out of insurance companies’ pockets and budgets.
James Shaw added that not all damages will be settled from the central budget in the future. “The consultations are also looking at how best to share risks and costs between property owners, insurance companies, banks and municipalities,” he said.
