The New Zealand government has released new plans to try to prepare the country for the catastrophic effects of the climate crisis: sea level rise, floods, massive storms and wildfires. “The climate is already changing and there will be some effects we cannot avoid,” climate change minister James Shaw said. “The number of people exposed to these hazards will increase as the climate changes,” the report says. It found that between 2007 and 2017, the contribution of climate change to floods and droughts alone cost New Zealanders an estimated $840m in insured damages and economic losses. But she said the proposals were still very high level, and needed to provide “much more guidance for decision-makers”.

Source: The Guardian April 27, 2022 21:05 UTC