New Zealand Links Colonization to Māori Climate Risks

In Aotearoa New Zealand, the 2026 National Climate Change Risk Assessment connects colonization with increased climate risks for Māori communities. The report details how historical exclusion and underinvestment worsen the effects of storms and flooding on Māori land, health, and culture. It identifies seven interconnected risk areas spanning environmental, cultural, and economic concerns.

Paora Tapsell of Lincoln University notes Māori have been marginalized for over 150 years. Shaun Awatere, lead author of the companion report, observes that Māori settlements often act as first responders during severe weather events despite facing relative poverty. The assessment emphasizes the effectiveness of Māori-led adaptation strategies grounded in traditional knowledge and data sovereignty.

The report acknowledges that damage to marae, burial sites, and whenua threatens cultural continuity. It also finds that climate-driven displacement could disrupt the transmission of language and knowledge between generations. While the assessment builds on similar findings from the United States and Australia, Awatere states that governments still need to fully include Indigenous voices in climate planning.