Many New Zealanders don't think about the effects of climate change until something goes wrong – and a leading engineer is hoping an award winning report will help change this perspective.
Dane Hart, one of a panel of judges in the Engineering New Zealand ENVI Awards, says climate change is one of the biggest hazards facing humanity and few Kiwis comprehend the real impact it is likely to have on their lives.
But he says a National Climate Change Risk Assessment (NCCRA) report aimed at a greater understanding of the climate risks facing the country - and named on July 1 as supreme winner at the ENVI awards - leaves no doubt that over time every New Zealander will feel the effects of this change.
"People don't think about it (climate change) until things go wrong," he says. "The significance of this report is that it assesses the risks we face and builds a well-informed plan to help protect society.
"Designed for practical application, it will shape government policy, assist central agencies to make key decisions and flow into the work of iwi, hapū and local government," Hart says.
The report predicts extreme weather events are likely to be more frequent and intense in the future. Strategies to re-design cities, reduce the number of cars on roads, re-route roading inland away from low-lying coastal land and the storage of renewable energy are likely to be among solutions.
Hart, who is also CEO of Engineers Without Borders, says the report is a standout example of how engineering and science can help solve the biggest problems we face in our daily lives. "Climate change is one of the greatest threats to our way of life and engineers have to make bold and brave decisions, frequently without certainty about the future."
The ENVI awards are held to celebrate the most outstanding engineers and engineering feats, encourage Kiwis to think differently about how problems can be solved and to highlight the impact of engineering on everyday life. More than 90 entries were received and 31 finalists chosen. Judging then determined winners for each of the nine categories from which the supreme winner was named.
The awards were live-streamed in TV show style for the first time - rather than holding a typical ceremony - enabling more people to watch and be involved, many connecting through viewing parties held around the country.
Hart says all the winning entries highlight the important role engineering plays in society from infrastructure and transportation to medical technology. The winning NCCRA report will have huge and lasting impacts for New Zealand through its identification and evaluation of climate hazards and the appropriate ways to eliminate or control them.
It was commissioned by the Ministry for the Environment and prepared by an independent project team led by global engineering firm AECOM, Auckland-based environmental and engineering consultancy Tonkin + Taylor, the National Institute of Water and Atmospheric Research (NIWA), Wellington-based Latitude Strategy and Communications, Victoria University of Wellington, Lincoln University and several other independent consultancies.
From a list of 43 priority risks, the report identifies the 10 most significant risks requiring urgent action in the next six years. Top of that list is the threat to coastal ecosytems from sea level rise and extreme weather events.
Others included risks to indigenous ecosystems and species from the spread of invasive species, social cohesion and community wellbeing, the exacerbation of social inequalities and the creation of new ones and the threat to governments from the economic costs associated with lost production, disaster relief expenditure and unfunded contingent liabilities.
"This is the first national picture of the risks New Zealand faces and its purpose is to help the government identify where it needs to prioritise action," Hart says. "The climate change crisis, historically ignored by nations all over the world, is now critical and the report's vision is to ensure New Zealand is resilient to its long term impacts."
The awards were supported by category sponsors Waka Kotahi, MAS, HEB Construction, Tonkin + Taylor, Wonder Project, Diversity Agenda and supporting sponsors Callaghan Innovation, Lighthouse Financial Services and Kiio. The full list of winners is:
Student Engineer of the Year: Francis Pooke, University of Canterbury.
Young Engineer of the Year: Jonathan Chambers, Environmental Engineer, Harrison Grierson.
Engineering Leadership Award: Doug Johnson, Managing Director, Tonkin + Taylor.
Engineering Creativity Award: Life in plastic, it's fantastic: 3D printing anatomical models, Creative Design and Additive Manufacturing Lab, University of Auckland
Engineering Impact Award: The National Climate Change Risk Assessment (NCCRA).
Engineering Innovation Award: Trentham to Upper Hutt Double Tracking (part of the Wellington Metro Upgrade Programme), KiwiRail, Downer, Aurecon New Zealand.
Engineering Partnership Award: West Coast Network Outcome Contract, Fulton Hogan and Waka Kotahi (NZ Transport Agency).
Engineering Diversity Award: Aurecon New Zealand.
Engineering Education Award: Professor Susan Krumdieck, Department of Mechanical Engineering Advanced Energy and Materials Systems Lab, University of Canterbury.
Supreme Award: The National Climate Change Risk Assessment (NCCRA).
To read more on the ENVI Award winners go to: envis.nz/winners