How will climate change affect New Zealand?
Scientists have put New Zealand in the top twenty countries that will be least affected by climate change. However, the country has already started warming and is seeing the effects of that change in disrupted weather patterns and New Zealand weather events which are considered extreme. As the effects of climate change become worse, we can expect more frequent and more extreme droughts, storms, land slips and floods. The rainfall pattern is changing, and the east of the country will become drier while the west becomes wetter. Our sea level has also started to rise and will continue to do so, meaning more coastal erosion and storm surges. Our economy depends on a stable and predictable climate. In farming areas, warmer temperatures mean more crop pests and animal diseases, increased wind damage, and prolonged droughts. We may also see human diseases like Malaria and Dengue Fever becoming common. Hotter, longer summers mean more heat stress and a higher risk of skin cancer. It’s not all
