E te tini o nga whanaunga  no te rohe o Whaingaroa tena koutou.

Ko Mike Smith tēnei, te kaiwhakahaere o ēnei hui e whai ake nei, e mihi ana ki a koutou.

Kia whakapā atu ki tātou mō tētahi kaupapa tino nui, ko te huringa āhuarangi, ā, me whai whakaaro tātou ki te whakatika i ēnei raru.

Kei te whakarite mātou i ētahi hui whakawhitiwhiti kōrero ā-ipurangi kia kōrero tātou mō ngā tuāhuaranga o te huringa āhuarangi ki a tātou, ā, mō ngā whakararuraru ka whai ake.

Heoi, kāore e kore, ka whai whakaaro hoki tātou ki ngā whakaaturanga rerekē, ngā whakaaro hōu, me ngā whakatutukitanga e taea e tātou hei whakatika i ēnei raru. E whakatinanatia ana tēnei hui ā-ipurangi a te wiki whai mai nei, hei te Rāhina, 21 o Akuhata.

He pānui tēnei ki a koutou, e pōhiri ana ahau ki a koutou kia uru mai ki tēnei hui ā-ipurangi. E whakapono ana ahau, mā tātou anō e whakatika i ngā raru o tō tātou ao.

KAUPAPA: Invitation to discuss the series of Wānanga on Climate Change that will occur over the next 6 months.

On behalf of our roopu Taaora, I’m pleased to invite you as leaders of our hapū, and communities to join us in a 90-minute Zoom meeting to discuss a series of locally focused wānanga on climate change, to be hosted by interested hapū communities from te rohe o Whaingaroa. These wānanga aim to foster deeper understanding, collaboration, and active engagement towards protecting our communities from the extreme weather events  climate impacts. Your insights and leadership will be invaluable in shaping this initiative.

Meeting Details:

Date: Monday 21st August

Time: 6:00PM – 7:30 PM

ZOOM LINK BELOW

Topic: Whaingaroa Climate Hui Time: Aug 21, 2023 06:00 PM Auckland, Wellington Join Zoom Meeting https://us02web.zoom.us/j/89663293223?pwd=N2VQMTc0bU5KT1BQZUp2YVdieElxQT09 Meeting ID: 896 6329 3223 Passcode: 470609 Feel free to share this link with whanau from Whaingaroa

AGENDA

Opening Karakia (5 minutes)

Introduction and Overview of Proposal (15 minutes)

Discussion on the Significance of Climate Change for Our Communities (20 minutes)

Presentation of the 6-Month Wānanga Schedule (15 minutes)

Q&A and Open Discussion (30 minutes)

Closing Remarks and Karakia (5 minutes)

Proposed 6-Month Wānanga Schedule:

Wānanga 1: Understanding Climate Change and Its Impact

Wānanga 2: Local Strategies for Climate preparedness

Wānanga 3: Traditional Knowledge solutions

Wānanga 4: Community Engagement and Collaboration

Wānanga 5: Building Resilient Hapū Communities

Wānanga 6: Reflection and Planning for the Future

Each wānanga session will be held monthly at various hapū community venues, with detailed information provided closer to the date.

The questions we are seeking your help with are:

What is the most effective way of involving your whanau in these wananga?

Should we conduct these hui online, on the marae or both?

How do we ensure that rangatahi are involved?

Background

The climate emergency represents one of the most urgent threats facing our communities and these threats will continue to accelerate into the future. The rise in global temperatures are already observable in a variety of devastating extreme weather events both here in Aotearoa and around the world, including cyclones, floods, droughts, and fires. It’s is crucially important to therefore accelerate the preparedness of  whanau, hapu and communities across Whaingaroa .

Observable Impacts

• Cyclones: Warmer ocean waters are fuelling more powerful and frequent tropical cyclones, leading to extensive damage to infrastructure, ecosystems, and human lives. Whaingaroa is in cyclone-prone region and at risk of bearing the brunt of this increased ferocity.

• Floods:  Whaingaroa is no stranger to recurring floods and these will become more frequent as a result of severe storms and rainfall events. This includes catastrophic flooding from sea level rise in most hapu settlements.

• Droughts: The climate emergency has also led to prolonged periods of drought in various parts of Te Tai Tokerau These droughts have ravaged agriculture, leading to food and water shortages that will continue to affect the region

• Fires: Warming climates and changing weather patterns are causing unprecedented wildfires, decimating entire ecosystems, wildlife, and human settlements. Countries like Australia and the U.S. have faced some of the most devastating fire seasons in recent history. Te rohe o Whaingaroa is particularly vulnerable to wildfires due to the large areas of native bush, pine trees and scrub.

Expected Acceleration

As the climate crisis worsens, these extreme weather events are expected to become more frequent and intense. This acceleration will likely overwhelm existing disaster management capabilities and infrastructure, making local preparedness, adaptation, and mitigation crucial.

Importance of Preparedness for Whanau and Hapu

One of the lessons that have been learned this year from cyclone Hale, Cyclone Gabrielle and the Auckland anniversary extreme rainfall event in Auckland, is that once the roads, bridges and electricity supply are overwhelmed, local body and central government services are unable to assist communities particularly in the first 48 hours. Therefore a community-centred approach to preparedness based is crucial.

The outcomes of this  series of wananga will be:

Developing Community Engagement

Encouraging a sense of community ownership by involving local whanau and hapu in planning and implementation processes. This will include holding public meetings, surveys, and workshops to discuss climate impacts and potential solutions.

Education and Awareness

By Increasing community awareness and understanding of climate change, its impacts, and possible responses through wananga, information distribution, and outreach activities.

Risk Assessment

By the development of local climate risk and vulnerability assessments to understand the specific climate-related challenges the community faces, including impacts on infrastructure, economy, health, and social systems.

Adaptation Planning

By the development a comprehensive climate adaptation plans that includes measures to reduce community vulnerabilities and increase resilience to climate change. These plans will be based on the outcomes of the risk assessment and include timelines, resource requirements, and responsible parties.

The Implementation of Adaptation Measures

Implement a range of measures to reduce vulnerability and enhance resilience, such as flood defenses, heatwave plans, water efficiency programs, and green infrastructure.

The Incorporation of Climate Resilience into Policy and Planning

By identifying Local government responses at the local level  This could include programmes to promote energy-efficient buildings, protect green spaces, manage water resources, and plan for sea-level rise.

The Promotion of Sustainable Practices

By encouraging sustainable practices within the community such as recycling, waste reduction, water conservation, and clean energy use.

The Development of Resilient Infrastructure

By enhancing the resilience of community infrastructure to climate impacts, such as ensuring buildings can withstand more extreme weather, improving stormwater management systems, and investing in renewable energy infrastructure.

Supporting Economic Resilience

By developing strategies to diversify the local economy and provide support for sectors most vulnerable to climate change. This could include promoting climate-resilient agricultural practices or supporting the development of new, sustainable industries.

Strengthening Emergency Preparedness

By establishing or improving community emergency preparedness and response plans, including warning systems and evacuation procedures for extreme weather events.

Partnerships and Collaboration

By Fostering partnerships with other communities, non-government organizations, universities, and businesses to share resources, knowledge, and best practices for climate resilience.

Monitoring and Evaluation

Establish a system for monitoring and evaluating the success of implemented measures, and update plans and strategies as necessary to reflect new knowledge, technologies, and changing climate risks. This can also include creating feedback mechanisms to learn from community members’ experiences and adapt approaches accordingly.

The climate emergency is no longer a distant threat but an increasing reality. From devastating cyclones and floods to relentless droughts and fires, the signs are clear and alarming. The expected acceleration of these events necessitates swift action and preparation at every level of society, but most importantly whanau and hapu. By taking community-centred action we can better prepare for the growing challenges posed by the climate crisis, ensuring a safer future for us all.

We are looking forward to meeting with you  and hearing your advice.

Any questions, please email: hinekaa@gmail.com

Na tou whanaunga Mike