New Zealand unveils national plan to combat the effects of global warming
New Zealand has published its first national plan to deal with climate change. Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern’s government unveiled plans to tackle the impact of global warming on August 7, 2022.
Pacific country New Zealand is under significant threat due to climate change. Last year, i.e., 2021, was New Zealand’s hottest year.
Ardern’s government has warned that climate change could lead to more intense storms and floods, forcing some people to abandon their homes.
New Zealand’s Climate Change Minister James said, “Weather extremes that once seemed unimaginable are now occurring at a speed and intensity we have never experienced before.”
He announced the first long-term strategy to help New Zealand adapt to a changing climate.
This could eventually lead to the abandonment of some homes near the coast due to rising sea levels. A visionary principle of this 200-page report is to prepare for adverse events before they happen, not after.
Construction of houses in high-risk areas will not allow under the plan. James told reporters in Wellington that New Zealand must prepare for a warmer future.
He also said that the population of about 5 million people in the South Pacific region had been affected by severe floods, droughts, and storms in the past year.
The National Climate Strategy will update a series of adaptation plans every six years. The costs of adapting to global warming will share between property owners, New Zealand’s central and local governments, insurance companies, and banks.
