New Zealand has commissioned the development of its first national flood map, in a move aimed at consolidating fragmented flood-risk data as the country contends with worsening climate impacts.
The Ministry for the Environment has appointed engineering firm Jacobs and specialist flood-risk consultancy JBA Consulting to design the data integration and harmonisation methodologies underpinning the project. The work forms part of the government's National Adaptation Framework, which sets out how New Zealand will prepare for the effects of a changing climate.
Once complete, the New Zealand Flood Map is intended to draw together local, regional and national datasets into a single, consistent picture of flood risk. The ministry says the resulting tool will be used by communities, businesses and government bodies to assess current and future exposure, and to inform planning and investment decisions.
Flooding is among the country's most damaging natural hazards, and its frequency and severity are expected to rise as the climate warms
Flooding is among the country's most damaging natural hazards, and its frequency and severity are expected to rise as the climate warms. At present, flood-risk information is held across multiple agencies and produced using different methodologies and levels of resolution, leaving gaps in coverage and complicating efforts to compare risk between regions.
Jacobs and JBA Consulting have previously worked on the UK Environment Agency's second National Flood Risk Assessment, one of the largest exercises of its kind. The companies say they will combine that experience with geospatial expertise drawn from work across New Zealand and Australia.
"Creating a consistent, nationwide understanding of flood risk is critical to how New Zealand plans, invests and adapts to climate change," said Kate Simmonds, Jacobs' director of operations for water in Australia and New Zealand. "This work supports more informed decisions and more resilient outcomes for communities and infrastructure over the long term."
The project will draw on modelling techniques, geospatial analysis and cloud-based platforms, and is intended to support longer-term adaptation planning and infrastructure investment across the country.
