NZAA Submission on the Draft National Adaptation Plan

The government’s Draft National Adaptation Plan is now open for consultation, with submissions due Friday 3rd June 2022.

The NZAA council will be preparing a submission on the NAP’s objectives, actions and gaps in relation to cultural heritage.

Two key focus areas in the Home, Buildings and Places section include:

• Māori connections to whenua and places of cultural value are strengthened through partnerships (objective HBP3). This means:
  • supporting initiatives that identify and respond to climate risks that are specific to iwi and Māori
  • working in partnership with iwi/Māori to develop Māori-led adaptation solutions
  • identifying and embedding Māori knowledge, identity and values in urban design and construction to manage climate-related hazards
  • increasing the resilience of cultural heritage, to strengthen the ties between whānau, hapū and iwi and their whenua.
• Threats to cultural heritage arising from climate change are understood and impacts minimised (objective HBP4). This means:
  • understanding where cultural heritage sites are, their values, who they are important to and how climate change could affect them
  • understanding how the loss of cultural heritage can affect social, cultural, spiritual and economic wellbeing, including for Māori; and the positive role of cultural heritage in adaptation and wellbeing
  • improving disaster management for cultural heritage
  • enabling communities to maintain and protect their taonga and assets
  • protecting and conserving cultural heritage through appropriate regulation.