Jacinda Ardern says New Zealand’s flood-prone areas not ready to cope with climate crisis

Town of Nelson said to be ‘years’ away from recovering from effects of recent floods

A car is inundated by floodwater in central Nelson, New Zealand (AFP via Getty Images)

Severe flooding which hit New Zealand last week shows that the country is currently unable to deal with extreme weather events brought on by the climate crisis, Jacinda Ardern has said.

The prime minister’s comments came after hundreds of homes were evacuated on the northern tip of the South Island, which was hit by severe flooding and numerous landslides. Towns to the north were also badly affected by torrential rain.

During a tour of the worst-hit region of Nelson, Ms Ardern spoke about the importance of implementing her government’s new national adaptation plan, a long-term climate change strategy which was unveiled earlier this month.

As things stand, response mechanisms have not kept up with the “rapid pace” of environmental change, Ms Ardern said, adding that the country has to do all it can “to lessen the impacts” of the climate crisis.

The effects of the floods on the town of Nelson “couldn’t be overstated”, its mayor Rachel Reese said last week.

Alec Louverdis, who works for the Nelson Tasman Civil Defence, said: “The damage I saw in Nelson was heartbreaking, and I think we are years away from a recovery.”

The national adaptation plan aims to create a blueprint for communities like Nelson to become more resilient to the worsening effects of climate change.

Speaking at its launch, climate change minister James Shaw said: “Climate change is a global challenge, but its impacts are felt in our local communities and in our homes.

“We have already seen what can unfold. Severe weather events that had previously seemed unthinkable, even only a few years ago, are now happening at a pace and intensity we have never experienced before.”