Climate change

Drought is a common feature of New Zealand's climate. On average, every year or two somewhere in New Zealand experiences a drought.

The world’s oceans are acidifying as a result of the carbon dioxide (CO2) generated by humanity.

The Kiwi dream of owning a beachfront property with panoramic views of the ocean is under threat—and not just for financial reasons.

New Zealand’s forests and other land areas may be absorbing up to 60% more carbon dioxide than has been calculated, with much of this uptake likely occurring in native forests, NIWA scientists have discovered.

Understanding how hazards impact people and the environment provides the foundation for informed decision making for a resilient Pacific.

This project demonstrates how to assess high value alternative land-use options by means of a quantitative analysis of the growing potential of selected niche crops and tree species.

Developing probabilistic scenarios of expected future regional climate changes.

To prepare for changes in climate, our freshwater and oceans decision-makers need information on species vulnerability to climate change.

Ocean acidification is the name given to the lowering of pH of the oceans as a result of increasing carbon dioxide (CO2) in the atmosphere.

New Zealand has just experienced its warmest winter on record, according to official NIWA climate data.

The greenhouse effect is a warming of the earth's surface and lower atmosphere caused by substances which let the sun's energy through to the ground but impede the passage of energy from the earth back into space.