Otago Regional Council Science and Resilience portfolio lead Councillor Gretchen Robertson says, “‘The Otago Climate Story: Ki Uta Ki Tai’ highlights the risks and opportunities climate change may present for different parts of Otago in the future. Ki uta ki tai — from the mountains to the sea — our region will continue to be shaped by a changing climate. This new tool will help people in Otago understand how our natural environments, towns, cities and communities will be affected by the changing climate.”

The tool, developed with mana whenua and Otago’s territorial authorities, unlocks valuable information contained in the technical 2021 Otago Climate Change Risk Assessment report, which highlighted the risks and opportunities climate change could present for Otago.

As well as an overview for the whole of the Otago region, individual summaries are provided for Queenstown Lakes, Central Otago, Waitaki, Clutha and Dunedin.

The tool provides communities with information that is relevant to them. Information focuses on the effects different parts of the region could experience over the coming decades. It explores how these could impact everyday life, businesses, and the services communities depend on. It also highlights what is being done around the region to plan and prepare for these, helping to build a more-resilient Otago.

Using a map-based platform, the climate story follows the effects of climate change like water flows through Otago’s environment: from the mountains and headwaters, down through valleys and ranges and across low-lying plains to the sea. Kāi Tahu cultural narratives and mātauraka Māori (Māori knowledge) related to the environment and climate change are woven through the story.

The Otago Climate Story: Ki Uta Ki Tai can be found at orc.govt.nz/climatestory