Photo caption: Dr Tom Logan
Key points
UC research is advancing how indirect and cascading climate risks are understood and assessed, with methods now informing risk and adaptation planning in New Zealand and internationally.
These methods and insights enable organisations to identify risks, prioritise responses, and plan for future environmental change.
Research and tools developed in Aotearoa New Zealand are informing resilience planning for organisations and communities internationally.
Improving climate risk decision-making
Researchers at the University of Canterbury (UC) are helping bridge the gap between climate adaptation research and real-world decision-making.
Dr Tom Logan and his team’s research focuses on complex and cascading risk, including how disruption to infrastructure and essential services can create consequences well beyond the areas directly affected by a hazard. Drawing on this research alongside his work as co-founder of Urban Intelligence, Tom has led the development of Resilience Explorer®, a digital platform that translates risk science into information that communities, councils, and organisations can use in planning and decision making.
As the impacts of climate change become increasingly apparent, access to clear, reliable, and up-to-date risk information is essential for effective planning. Resilience Explorer® is a comprehensive natural hazards management platform that enables users to visualise hazards and risks, and make informed decisions about land-use, infrastructure, adaptation strategies, and emergency responses.
Photo caption: Screens within the Resilience Explorer® platform.
Supporting community resilience
A key focus of the research is ensuring that complex scientific information is accessible and useful to those making decisions on the ground.
The platform provides one pathway for applying this research, enabling organisations to explore climate and natural hazard risks through interactive tools and tailored information, supporting greater awareness, engagement, and participation in adaptation planning.
Effective adaptation decisions depend on understanding consequences, rather than just knowing where the hazard might occur. Our research looks at how impacts domino through infrastructure, services, communities, and local economies, and how that evidence can be translated into action.– Dr Tom Logan
The research is already informing national and local climate-risk practice, including work with the Climate Change Commission and councils across New Zealand. Resilience Explorer® is used around NZ (Far North District, Dunedin City, Christchurch City, the Climate Change Commission and companies in the agricultural and critical infrastructure sectors).
Originally developed to support organisations across Aotearoa New Zealand, the research is now informing resilience and adaptation initiatives internationally. Tom hopes the overseas work will ultimately fund the continual development of Resilience Explorer® so it can continue to get the latest research into the hands of local communities.
Accelerating adaptation through collaboration
The research highlights the value of partnerships in creating practical solutions to complex environmental challenges.
Tom’s team’s research programme brings together local and central government, Māori partners, health organisations, infrastructure providers, and international researchers to test and develop approaches to complex risk in decision-making contexts. These collaborations have helped move the research into practice across adaptation planning, infrastructure investment, land-use planning and emergency management.
By connecting research, data, and users through digital technologies, UC researchers are helping accelerate climate adaptation and support more resilient communities.
Talk to Dr Tom Logan about natural hazards, climate adaptation, resilience planning, and risk-informed decision-making.
Last updated: October 2026
Related topics
Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs)
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We gratefully acknowledge funding for the Ministry of Business, Innovation and Employment and Te Aparangi | Royal Society of New Zealand.
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