Regional Council notes

The recent severe flooding in Houston, Texas has highlighted the damage and disruption that extreme storms can cause.  The scary thing is that at one time these monster weather events were a rarity but are now a common occurrence in one part of the world or another.  Like it or not our weather patterns are changing and we can expect to feel the effects of this right here in Wairarapa.

 
With this in mind, GWRC commissioned NIWA to produce a report on the anticipated effects of climate change on the Wellington Region.  This comprehensive report was released in early August and contains some sobering but not unexpected news.  Based on the current weather trends that are already happening we can expect less rain in Wairarapa and substantially more hot days.  When it does rain however we can expect heavier downpours with longer dry spells in between.
 
Obviously major changes in our weather will affect what we can grow here but the implications don’t stop there.  More extremes in our climate have implications for our health and increases in temperature may allow different diseases to flourish.  Pests that once found our climate too chilly may now be able to migrate further south and we may face a whole new range of challenges.
 
None of this should be cause for panic however but forewarned is forearmed. It’s vital that Councils and Government work with communities to plan for ways to adapt to the changes that are expected.  Town planning, infrastructure, water storage, flood protection and land use, to name a few, are all things that must consider climate change when planning for the future.
 
To read the full report go to http://www.gw.govt.nz/climate-change
Adrienne Staples