To mitigate the impacts of climate change, the assessment points to M\u0101ori-led adaptation as uniquely effective. It calls for policy grounded in M\u0101ori customs and knowledge, Indigenous data sovereignty, and stronger M\u0101ori authority in climate decision-making.<\/p>\n
\u201cFor more than 150 years M\u0101ori have been pushed to the margins, literally, by an aggressive colonization process,\u201d said Paora Tapsell, who is Ng\u0101ti Whakaue and Ng\u0101ti Raukawa, and the director of the K\u0101ika Institute of Climate Resilience at Lincoln University.\u00a0<\/p>\n
The assessment, released earlier this month, adds to a growing body of national reports that highlight the harmful impacts of colonial policies on Indigenous peoples and the environment. In 2023, the United States\u2019 Fifth National Climate Assessment<\/a> found that land theft and colonization had exacerbated climate change\u2019s impact. The year before, Australia\u2019s State of the Environment<\/a> report was prepared with an Indigenous lead author for the first time; it found that Indigenous peoples were more likely to be impacted by extreme weather events like fires. It too called for incorporating Indigenous knowledge into climate policies. Despite these findings, Indigenous leaders around the world say national governments are still not listening<\/a> to them.<\/p>\n Aotearoa New Zealand recently experienced one of its most active severe weather seasons on record, with multiple declared states of emergency<\/a> across the nation\u2019s two islands. It also found that the country\u2019s Indigenous peoples are essential in responding to such disasters. \u201cThe report accurately acknowledges that many k\u0101inga [M\u0101ori settlements], despite their relative impoverishment, are still willing first responders on the front line of increasingly severe climate events,\u201d Shaun Awatere, who is Ng\u0101ti Porou and lead author of the companion report, said.<\/p>\n The assessment\u2019s seven interconnected risk areas span environmental, cultural, and economic domains. It says the loss of protected endemic species is not only a biodiversity issue but also affects food gathering places, the M\u0101ori lunar calendar, traditional customs, and intergenerational knowledge systems. According to the report, some species could face near-irreversible decline in parts of the country under high-emissions scenarios by 2090.<\/p>\n Read Next<\/p>\n <\/p>\n <\/a><\/p>\n![\"\"](\"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/ie\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/05\/unfpii-2026-finance.jpg\")
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