Many Māori communities have their ancestral territories adjacent to estuarine and coastal lacustrine ecosystems that have played important intergenerational roles in sustenance and identity. The dynamics of these environments will shift under future climates with changing sea levels and wider hydrogeological conditions; in some locations climate-driven changes may exacerbate geophysical hazard impacts. Even in areas where significant hazard modelling has been conducted, there remains a gap in orienting remedies to local Māori concerns, and being able to conduct rigorous cost/benefit analyses comparing nature-based and other infrastructure solutions to support community decision making. Operationalising catchment-scale interventions is also hampered by a land tenure system that has historically fragmented and alienated land from Māori, and imposed restrictions on what Māori can implement on their own reserve lands. For hazard-exposed Māori communities the design of fit-for-purpose legislative tools and land management systems, and implementation of adaptive infrastructure, is of great interest.
In close partnership with exemplar Māori communities exposed to multi-hazards, this PhD project directly addresses these issues and will include aspects of the following:
• International review of planning, policy and legislative frameworks under which Indigenous community development and hazard exposure has occurred.
• For the case study region, a longue durée analysis of Indigenous landscapes and infrastructure development from pre-contact to the modern day, documenting the overarching tīkanga and legal contexts of the time.
• Analysis of existing policy, planning and legislative frameworks, including recent climate adaption and disaster risk and resilience approaches, to identify areas for improvement and alignment to support intergenerational Māori-led natural hazard resilience.
• Identification of optimal Indigenous-led infrastructure development pathways that support and enhance ecosystem health and traditional cultural harvesting practices (mahinga kai).
The project is funded by the Natural Hazard and Resilience Platform
Supervisors
Primary Supervisor: Matthew Hughes
Other Supervisor(s): Matiu Prebble
Key qualifications and skills
We seek applicants with training/experience in law, policy and planning, disaster resilience and climate adaptation, community engagement, or other relevant qualifications. Experience in geospatial analysis would be beneficial.
Does the project come with funding
Yes: NZ$35,000 per year tax-free stipend, for 3.5 years; University fees covered.
Final date for receiving applications
Ongoing
How to apply
Complete this form: PhD Opportunity: Holistic community-led natural hazard resilience in Indigenous landscapes
Keywords
Natural hazard, resilience, Indigenous, infrastructure, policy and planning
