What work have we undertaken to contribute to this outcome?
During 2025/26, Canterbury CDEM, supported by Environment Canterbury, began planning several initiatives to build on the 2025 Community Resilience Survey results and improve community understanding of hazard and climate risks. These include a rural preparedness campaign, the move to a single blue tsunami evacuation zone in line with national guidance, and participation in NZ ShakeOut 2026.
Local government plays a vital role in emergency management, working on the ground with communities to prepare for, respond to and recover from disasters. Environment Canterbury enables and funds the Canterbury CDEM Group. The CDEM Group is a partnership between Environment Canterbury, territorial authorities, emergency services and others, to ensure plans and responses reflect local needs.
Key areas of engagement include:
- Community networks: Groups such as the Welfare Coordination Group and Rural Advisory Group help tailor emergency planning and support to local needs.
- Education and training: Public workshops, volunteer opportunities, and formal training delivered through the Emergency Management Training Centre empower individuals and groups to prepare for and respond to emergencies.
- Inclusive planning: The CDEM Group works with communities to understand their unique risks, strengths and priorities, ensuring that emergency plans reflect local realities.
- Ongoing support: Environment Canterbury supports this work by funding initiatives and tracking service performance, such as the readiness of Emergency Coordination Centres and staff training levels.
This approach ensures that communities are not only informed but are actively engaged in preparing for, responding to, and recovering from emergencies.
We know climate change is contributing to the severity and frequency of adverse events such as floods and droughts faced by the region. The Environment Canterbury Climate Action Plan sets out the actions we are taking to address the impacts of climate change, including actions to reduce climate risk and increase community understanding of risks. Work under the Climate Action Plan includes projects to build a comprehensive regional evidence base for natural hazard and climate change risks, investigations of nature-based solutions for reducing flooding risk, and improving the Council’s capacity and capability for managing climate risks.
Environment Canterbury works closely with Canterbury’s Territorial Authorities on the Canterbury Climate Partnership Plan to build collective climate knowledge across the region. It’s time, Canterbury is Canterbury’s shared climate change focused communication and engagement platform and is managed by Environment Canterbury.
Who else plays a role?
The National Emergency management Agency (NEMA) is the government lead for emergency management, providing strategic leadership, coordinating national responses, and supporting communities to prepare for, respond to, and recover from emergencies. NEMA works in partnership with central and local government, iwi, businesses, and NGOs to help build a resilient Aotearoa.
Other authorities responsible for hazard management and public safety include Toka Tū Ake - Natural Hazards Commission, Fire and Emergency New Zealand (FENZ) and New Zealand Police.
How does this link to our Climate Action Plan?
This measure is directly linked to Action A in our Climate Action Plan Te Mahere Huringa Āhuarangi: Take a strategic approach to supporting local adaptation planning. This action aims to take a systematic and proactive approach to support the most at-risk communities in understanding, assessing and preparing for the impacts of climate change at the local and hāpori/community level, in partnership with mana whenua and Canterbury councils.
J1 measures the first part of this directly: whether people across Waitaha Canterbury understand the natural hazard and climate change risks they live with. Understanding risk is the starting point for adaptation. Communities that understand their risks are better placed to take part in local adaptation planning and to prepare for the impacts of climate change.
Find out more about our Climate Action Plan.
Where can I find more information?
More information on CDEM in Canterbury is available on their website.
Canterbury's climate is changing | It's time, Canterbury provides reliable information and resources about the effects of climate change on Waitaha Canterbury to help you understand and adapt to its impacts.
Download the 2024/25 results for J1: Percentage of the Canterbury population that understands the natural hazard and climate change risks they live with is increasing (PDF file, 350.8KB)
