About this research
Project Summary
Sea level rise resulting from climate change poses significant threats to coastal resources, including mahinga kai, culturally significant sites like wāhi tapu or marae, and projects like wetland habitat restoration. Threats include not just rising sea levels, but also increased frequency and intensity of storm-related effects like storm surge and flooding (e.g., Cyclone Gabrielle). These threats are complex to model, and to fully understand or interpret the outputs of such models often requires technical knowledge beyond the grasp of most people. Additionally, many models are large scale, so they do not offer more fine-grained or local pictures, nor do they incorporate culturally significant areas. Dynamic visualisation at the local community or hapū level can support such understanding.
Many marae communities, including those of Te Tai o Araiteuru (East Coast of Otago), are at risk. Building on the relationship with Aukaha, the environmental consultancy arm of 5 rūnaka, this project developed a pilot model to visualise possible effects of sea level rise by superimposing them onto a 3D model of the Otago coastline, focusing particularly on areas significant to Ōtakou rūnaka. This supports marae decision-making in terms of mitigation or adaptation strategies as they develop their inter-generational climate change strategies.
The project team have undertaken preliminary phases to test and co-design the approach and model with their partner, Aukaha. The project built further on this research to create an interactive and dynamic visualisation (i.e., showing change over time) of potential sea level rise, combined with storm surge and flooding.
This model is a first for Araiteuru rūnaka, combining local cultural data from Kāi Tahu’s GIS-based cultural mapping website Kā Huru Manu (https://www.kahurumanu.co.nz/) with publicly available geophysical data (also see data sovereignty statement). The usefulness of the model to support decision-making for rūnaka will be assessed by Aukaha.
Research Question
How can we create effective visualisations of projected effects of sea level rise, that are readily understandable by marae communities of Te Tai o Araiteuru to support inter-generational decision-making?
Lead Researcher
Associate Professor Katharina Ruckstuhl, Kāi Tahu, Rangitāne
Research Team
Dr Nigel Stanger, University of Otago
Dr Brendon Woodford, University of Otago
Owyn Aitken, Ngāti Raukawa, Tainui, University of Otago
Highlights
- Collaborated with Aukaha to co-design model using local cultural and environmental data
- Gave presentations to rūnaka and regional council (Otago Regional Council + Boffa Miskell)
- Strengthened relationship between Otago’s School of Computing and Aukaha
- Contributed to student advancement into Master’s research on climate change visualisation
- Delivered a visualisation resource now used by rūnaka to assess sea-level rise impacts on cultural and physical assets
Sea level rise is threatening many marae and coastal cultural sites across Te Tai o Araiteuru. Yet existing climate models are complex and often not locally relevant or easy to understand. This project created a dynamic, culturally grounded 3D visualisation of the Otago coastline, integrating Kāi Tahu cultural data with environmental modelling to support hapū and marae in making inter-generational climate decisions.
Kairangahau · Researchers
Dr Katharina Ruckstuhl
Ngāi Tahu, Rangitāne
Research and Enterprise - University of Otago
Katharina is a Senior Research Analyst and Researcher at the University of Otago. She uses a kaupapa Māori framework to…
Dr Katharina Ruckstuhl
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Dr Alayne Mikahere-Hall
Dr Alayne Mikahere-Hall
This research programme dives beneath the surface to expose how efforts to address racism in Aotearoa can be symbolic, sidelining Māori worldviews and limiting true transformation. Led through a kaupapa Māori lens, this programme challenges narrow, imported definitions of racism and equity, and confronts how dominant systems create and maintain Māori…
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This research programme dives beneath the surface to expose how efforts to address racism in Aotearoa can be symbolic, sidelining Māori worldviews and limiting true transformation.
Led through a kaupapa Māori lens, this programme challenges narrow, imported definitions of racism and equity, and confronts how dominant systems create and maintain Māori ‘vulnerability’. It aims to reframe equity on Māori terms—grounded in rangatiratanga, Indigenous knowledge, and the realities of colonisation.
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Associate Professor Donna Cormack
Associate Professor Donna Cormack
Donna has been involved in work on the collection and classification of ethnicity data in New Zealand, particularly as it relates to measuring and monitoring disparities. Most recently, Donna has been focused on work examining disparities in cancer outcomes and access to cancer services for Māori. She is involved in the Differential Colon Cancer Survival by Ethnicity in New Zealand project as well as Unequal Treatment: The Role of Health Services with Te Rōpū Rangahau Hauora a Eru Pōmare. -
Professor Sarah-Jane Paine
Professor Sarah-Jane Paine
Professor Sarah-Jane Paine (Tūhoe) is a leading Māori health researcher and internationally respected authority on Indigenous child wellbeing. She is Research Director and Principal Investigator of Growing Up in New Zealand, Aotearoa’s flagship longitudinal study of child development, and a Professor at Te Kupenga Hauora Māori, Waipapa Taumata Rau, University of Auckland.Her work in Kaupapa Māori epidemiology has influenced national policy in maternal and child health, racism and child wellbeing, food security, and youth wellbeing. Known for combining scientific rigour with strong community… -
Professor Papaarangi Reid
Professor Papaarangi Reid
Papaarangi is Tumuaki and Head of Department of Maori Health at the Faculty of Medical and Health Sciences, University of Auckland, New Zealand. She holds science and medical degrees from the University of Auckland and is a specialist in public health medicine. She has tribal affiliations to Te Rarawa in the Far North of Aotearoa and her research interests include analysing disparities between indigenous and non-indigenous citizens as a means of monitoring government commitment to indigenous rights. -
Associate Professor Ricci Harris
Associate Professor Ricci Harris
Dr Ricci Harris (Ngāti Kahungunu, Ngāti Raukawa, Ngāi Tahu) is a public health physician and Research Associate Professor at Te Rōpū Rangahau Hauora a Eru Pōmare. She has research expertise in Māori health, epidemiology (including quantitative aspects of Kaupapa Māori research) and the investigation and elimination of ethnic health inequities in New Zealand. This has included research into the classification of ethnicity, ethnic disparities in health status and receipt of health services, and the impact of social determinants (e.g. SES and racism) on Māori health and inequities. Her current… -
Dr Arama Rata
Dr Arama Rata
Arama is of Ngāti Maniapoto, Taranaki, and Ngāruahine descent. She completed her PhD in Psychology at Victoria University of Wellington in 2012, which focused on Māori cultural engagement, identity, and psychological well-being in State secondary schools. Arama then lectured at Te Kawa a Māui (the School of Māori Studies), where she received a Research Establishment Grant to study Māori collective remembering of the New Zealand Wars. Dr Rata is currently involved with research relating to Māori health experiences, Māori in rural communities, as well as iwi consultancy. -
Hana Burgess
Hana Burgess
Hana (Ngäpuhi, Te Roroa, Te Ätihaunui a Päpärangi, Ngäti Tüwharetoa) (she/her) is doing a PhD in Mäori health, with supervision from Donna (Käi Tahu, Käti Mämoe) (she/her) and Papaarangi (Te Rarawa) (she/her)