Utilizing Geospatial Data Science (GIS) for Climate-Resilient Resource Planning in New Zealand's Coastal Regions
Abstract
This study develops and validates an advanced GIS-based spatial modelling framework designed to mitigate the multidimensional impacts of climate change on resource and environmental planning in New Zealand's coastal regions. In the face of accelerating sea-level rise, increased storm-surge frequency, and coastal erosion, the integration of geospatial data science has emerged as an indispensable tool for building climate-resilient communities. The research employs a rigorous Geospatial Data Modelling and Policy Simulation methodology, drawing upon Environmental and Climate Data Analysis (GISC405) principles to operationalize predictive spatial models. Specifically, the study develops simulation models that quantify the physical impacts of projected sea-level rise scenarios on coastal morphology and infrastructure, while simultaneously mapping their socioeconomic ramifications for vulnerable coastal communities. These integrated models are validated through cross-referencing with New Zealand's National Climate Change Risk Assessment (NCCRA) datasets and international benchmarks. The results demonstrate that multi-layered GIS visualisation significantly enhances the quality of planning decisions by making complex spatial trade-offs legible to diverse stakeholders, including iwi (Māori tribal authorities), local government agencies, and resource management practitioners. Furthermore, incorporating indigenous Mātauranga Māori (local knowledge) into GIS layers facilitates a holistic understanding of ecological shifts, ensuring that technical spatial outputs are harmonized with ancestral stewardship values and long-term environmental kaitiakitanga (guardianship) frameworks throughout the analysis. Critically, the framework addresses persistent land-use conflicts arising at the intersection of customary Māori land rights, commercial interests, and ecological imperatives in coastal zones. The study concludes that sophisticated geospatial modelling, grounded in the participatory principles of the Resource Management Act 1991 (RMA), provides a replicable and scalable blueprint for climate-resilient coastal governance across the Pacific Island context.
Full Text:
PDFReferences
Braun, V., & Clarke, V. (2006). Using thematic analysis in psychology. Qualitative Research in Psychology, 3(2), 77-101. https://doi.org/10.1191/1478088706qp063oa
Carroll, S. R., Garba, I., Figueroa-Rodríguez, O. L., Holbrook, J., Lovett, R., Materechera, S., Parsons, M., Raseroka, K., Rodriguez-Lonebear, D., Rowe, R., Sara, R., Walker, J. D., Anderson, J., & Hudson, M. (2020). The CARE Principles for Indigenous Data Governance. Data Science Journal, 19(1), 43. http://doi.org/10.5334/dsj-2020-043
Creswell, J. W., & Plano Clark, V. L. (2018). Designing and conducting mixed methods research (3rd ed.). SAGE Publications.
Hall, J. W., Brown, S., Nicholls, R. J., Pidgeon, N. F., & Watson, R. T. (2019). Proportionate adaptation. Nature Climate Change, 2(12), 833-834. https://doi.org/10.1038/nclimate1749
Harmsworth, G. R., & Awatere, S. (2013). Indigenous Māori knowledge and perspectives of ecosystems. In J. R. Dymond (Ed.), Ecosystem services in New Zealand: Conditions and trends (pp. 274-286). Manaaki Whenua Press.
Harvey, D. (1973). Social justice and the city. Edward Arnold.
Healey, P. (1997). Collaborative planning: Shaping places in fragmented societies. Macmillan.
Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC). (2021). Climate Change 2021: The Physical Science Basis. Contribution of Working Group I to the Sixth Assessment Report of the IPCC. Cambridge University Press. https://doi.org/10.1017/9781009157896
Kasperson, J. X., & Kasperson, R. E. (2001). Global environmental risk. United Nations University Press and Earthscan.
Longley, P. A., Goodchild, M. F., Maguire, D. J., & Rhind, D. W. (2015). Geographic information science and systems (4th ed.). Wiley.
Ministry for the Environment (MfE). (2022). National climate change risk assessment for New Zealand: Main report. New Zealand Government.
O'Neill, B. C., Kriegler, E., Ebi, K. L., Kemp-Benedict, E., Riahi, K., Rothman, D. S., van Ruijven, B. J., van Vuuren, D. P., Birkmann, J., Kok, K., Levy, M., & Solecki, W. (2017). The roads ahead: Narratives for shared socioeconomic pathways describing world futures in the 21st century. Global Environmental Change, 42, 169-180. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.gloenvcha.2015.01.004
Orange, C. (2011). The Treaty of Waitangi (2nd ed.). Bridget Williams Books.
Rennie, H. G., & Hume, T. M. (2019). Coastal hazard risk assessment: Implications for coastal management under climate change. New Zealand Geographer, 75(1), 3-14. https://doi.org/10.1111/nzg.12211
Smith, L. T. (2012). Decolonizing methodologies: Research and indigenous peoples (2nd ed.). Zed Books.
Tapsell, S., McCarthy, S., Faulkner, H., & Alexander, M. (2010). Social vulnerability to natural hazards. State of the Art Report. CapHaz-Net WP4 Report. Flood Hazard Research Centre (FHRC), Middlesex University.
Thieler, E. R., Himmelstoss, E. A., Zichichi, J. L., & Ergul, A. (2009). The Digital Shoreline Analysis System (DSAS) Version 4.0 - An ArcGIS extension for calculating shoreline change (Open-File Report 2008-1278). U.S. Geological Survey. https://doi.org/10.3133/ofr20081278
Waikato Regional Council. (2020). Waikato Regional Coastal Environment Plan. Waikato Regional Council.
DOI: https://doi.org/10.51817/jas.v7i1.449
Refbacks
- There are currently no refbacks.
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License.
