DRR Dancing in the Dark...

Heads up from Professor of Disaster Economics, Ilan Noy (Victoria University, Wellington). Recent withdrawl of funding for many US databases has emphasised the lack of NZ investment into, inter alia, disaster loss data collection. 

Ilan (we've met, so I'll use his first name although still a bit cheeky of me...) argues in his patient, cogent manner with barely a hint of the obvious frustration he must be feeling that if we do not make this investment into very basic data collection then we are left, if not exactly blind, certainly feeling our way in the gloom in efforts to plan for the future. 

"Without understanding the magnitude of the problem, our ability to prevent damage or recover from extreme weather is diminished. It is indeed difficult to manage what we don’t measure."

This follows on from revelations last year that several strategies to build a data infrastructure for better emergency management have been scrapped or drastically reduced in scope and scale. 

As Phil Pennington (RNS) reported June last year, the brutal public sector cuts left a half-built emergency coordination system, despite reports on Cyclone Gabrielle reeiterating the Aotearoa desparately needs better data infrastructure as people were let down by the inability to quickly share the same information across multiple hardpressed responders.

Land Information NZ (LINZ) had actually built a platform of maps and risks but had to drop a project that would actually make it easier share access to this in a disaster. The project began in 2021 "but was never properly funded from the start".

 

So more short-termism from the current NZ government.

Prof Noy (back to formalities) gives this graph to show the range of dollar totals given for damages in the severe weather of early 2023: 

I know that NZ scientists have often drawn on overseas data sources, especially from the US (e.g., NASA) to plug the (many) gaps in our own data collection. As NZ also downsizes its commitment to science funding, we can expect even less insight into our rapisly changing world.

Hard rains gonna fall. 

  

Aotearoa New Zealand GMO Regs to be updated

Continuing the rush of legislative changes in Aotearoa, the Minister for Science released Cabinet papers on GMO regulations. 

Link here 

Māori consultation highlighted the role of wāhine Māori in protecting taonga species, and how the Nagoya Protocols would empower Māori in this space. 

Came to nought.

MBIE has released a vid explainer:

A single regulator is to be established, with technical advice and a Māori advisory committee (MAC). The decision-making process is seen as a technical and scientific process with socio-cultural concerns irrelevant.

The Pant Varieties Act 2022 is offered as a model for Māori engagement; Section 63 has is worth perusing:

Assessment where kaitiaki relationship asserted

In a case where an iwi, hapū, individual of Māori descent, or Māori entity asserts that they have a kaitiaki relationship with the plant species that is the subject of a PVR application, the Māori Plant Varieties Committee must also consider—

(a) whether that person, iwi, hapū, or other entity has demonstrated their kaitiaki relationship with the relevant plant variety and associated mātauranga Māori:

(b) if a kaitiaki relationship has been demonstrated,—

(i) the kaitiaki’s assessment of the effect of a grant of the PVR on their relationship; and

(ii) any agreement to mitigate adverse effects reached between the breeder and the kaitiaki; and  

(iii) whether there is any evidence that the parties have not acted in good faith during their engagement (if any).

Keep on Truckin'

 I'm what some call a 'qual', relying on qualitative methodologies, but I do love a good spreadsheet.

Here's the ANZ's 'Truckometer', a simply metric that basically counts trucks, heavt trucks in the graph below. Simple and instinctual no? 

What we see is traffice tracking down wehich is a lead indicator for GDP.

Heavy traffic data (mostly trucks) tends to provide a good steer on production GDP in real time, as it captures both goods production (including agriculture) and freight associated with both wholesale and retail trade. The heavy traffic index slumped markedly in June, with the 5.2% fall unprecedented outside of lockdowns.

Hard rain's gonna fall...

Bioprotection Aotearoa

Bioprotection Aotearoa is one of those research centres in Aotearoa NZ reframing how it engages with Māori. The short clip below gives an outline of their pitch. What is important to note is that Māori are no longer willing to be used for decoration; the old 'dial a powhiri' approach is exactly that, old!

 

Long time, no see

It's been rough and rocky travelin'
But I'm finally standin' upright on the ground
After takin' several readings
I'm surprised to find my mind's still fairly sound

So sung the great American philosopher, Mr. W. Nelson (born 1933) who according to many t-shirts said that if marijuana was a gateway drug, it better hurry up. 

Anyway, I'm catching up but start by assuming there's still lots going on with the Maori Economy, however one defines and understands that. Going to The Google, I see MFAT provides a short PDF that draws on a CHapman Tripp report valuing the, what, sector? at $50 billion. The research dates back to 2017 - another time in more ways than one - but will serve as shorthand:

Given the changes likely to come to forestry following the slash controversy  and although a recession may now be averted (ironically through extra spending on the Cyclone recovery), Maori employment is - as always - higher than Pakeha and predicted to edge up over th enext year. 

Watch this space...