Rohe arotahinga 5: Ki te urutau ki te hurihanga ā-mua o te wai Focus area 5: Adapt to a changing water future

​Auckland is surrounded by rich marine and  freshwater environments Beds, banks, margins, flood plains and waters of rivers and natural lakes and wetlands, and groundwater systems together with their natural functioning and interconnections. .

They provide:

• clean drinking water
• opportunities for recreation
• habitat for diverse species
• flood resilience and natural treatment of run-off
• economic development through tourism.

Water quality and quantity are both significant issues that will escalate as the population grows and the impacts of climate change become increasingly apparent.

We must do things differently if we are to ensure wildlife, people, and rural and urban businesses have adequate clean water supplies.

In both urban and rural areas, water quality has declined and freshwater environments have been compromised. They are showing the stress of decades of pressure – which will continue to increase if we do not change what we do.

The reduction of water quality has also affected the marine environment. This has resulted in poor ecological and  amenity With regards to the District Plan, natural or physical qualities and characteristics of an area that contribute to people's appreciation of its pleasantness, aesthetic coherence and cultural and recreational attributes.  outcomes and, in some areas, beaches where it is unsafe to swim due to wastewater overflows.

Sediment plume

More extreme weather events, as a result of climate change, mean that at times there will be too much water in some places. That is, parts of Auckland may experience flooding and  coastal inundation  Flooding of normally dry, low-lying coastal land. This is primarily caused by severe weather events along the coasts, estuaries, and adjoining rivers.

At other times there may not be enough water and we will become increasingly reliant on the resources of neighbouring regions – who will be facing the same problems.

How this can be done

Auckland needs to proactively adapt to this changing water future and develop long-term solutions.

We can:

• start working towards solutions for meeting Auckland's long-term drinking water requirements. This may include finding alternative supplies and will require reducing consumption
• minimise our negative effects on water quality and quantity, in both freshwater and marine environments
• actively work to improve swimmability across the region
• maintain and improve water quality in freshwater environments
• improve our ability to manage and respond to the water-related impacts of climate change such as flooding and droughts
• consider the impacts of a changing water future on the industries and activities that rely on water, such as agriculture, power generation and food processing.

Related information

• Green infrastructure
• Our cultural heritage
• Climate change
• Ridge to Reef: Auckland’s marine environments and their relationship to the land.

More information about this outcome