The week ahead is being predicted by several northern hemisphere sites that we may see record high temperatures. These warnings bring it home that while here we are protected from extreme temperatures by the winter season, summer is not too far ahead and we may be seeing similar warnings directed at us.
While the latest warnings are related to a particularly severe and widespread heatwave, the concerning aspect is that August generally is the warmest month on the Northern Hemisphere calendar and that is yet to come.
New Zealand has many natural advantages over most other countries, these range from our extensive maritime region, climate, to pineapple lumps (apparently). However, when it comes to coping with climate change and temperature extremes our water sources are probably key and increasingly may be our biggest competitive advantage when it comes to trade. This is perhaps an ironic comment given the extremes experienced over the last couple of years and all the damage and chaos that was associated with flooding, particularly in the Gisborne and Hawkes Bay regions.
However, when it comes to both food production and the natural environment, water is required for all forms and as such is probably the most valuable element on earth, providing it is in the right place of the right quality and preferably in the right quantity.
New Zealand on a per capita and real basis not only has an abundance but it tends to replenish in decent amounts and at timely intervals.
On the per capita basis New Zealand out of 180 nations comes in at 10th. However, even that is a bit misleading as three countries above New Zealand on the list are either in the Artic circle (or close to as with Iceland and Norway) and don’t have suitable climates to utilise their abundance. Another four or five are largely covered with tropical forest leaving only Canada as a country with an ability to turn their advantage into a national or economic benefit.
When it comes to total water resources New Zealand slips back to around 33rd with those with larger land masses gaining upon us. However, as populations grow and as water resources begin reducing due to over exploitation and reduced rainfall or higher temperatures New Zealand’s advantages start to emerge.
One big advantage New Zealand has with its water resources are that they are controlled by New Zealand and New Zealand alone. Many other countries especially in Asia and Africa but also Europe have their major rivers and water sources being shared by several other nations. The Mekong River for instance goes through six countries in South East Asia and the Danube goes through or borders 10 different countries as does the Nile through Africa.
Our relative isolation makes both the protection and utilisation of our water resources far simpler than would otherwise be the case.
So we can both harvest and protect our fresh water resources comfortable in the knowledge that we can gain the benefits (or otherwise) from our own actions.
While our waterways and lakes still need a way to go to get back to being pristine at least we do not have to negotiate with neighbours both up and downstream to implement policies around our resources. The map below illustrates that increasingly more countries are over extending their mining of fresh water to the point where their resources are being depleted.
So, we can reap the rewards of our actions. As with many countries even with our abundance of water we can still suffer from the impacts of droughts and floods. However, in our case we can implement policies be them in the form of water storage or flood protection to mitigate against some of the worst impacts.
Some may rail against any form of control on rivers and natural waterways but, in my view, so long as water quality and the health of waterways are maintained it can be a win, win. Hopefully New Zealand has learnt from the past mistakes of ignoring our impact on nature and keep our water resource as a sustainable resource because looking at most of the rest of the world droughts are afflicting most of the populated continents often the worst on record. This all makes protecting our water resources more critical at these times more than ever.
Europe, Africa, Asia and the North American continents are all likely to have lower than normal food production. Plus of course, the ongoing Russian invasion of Ukraine impacts on growing, harvesting and distributing grains. Stocks are looking as precarious as they have for a long time.
Climate change has been said to have an ongoing additional 1% per year on food costs, given the impact floods had on New Zealand costs this year, 1% seems quite a modest prediction.
At the moment the biggest concern is consumers lack of spending ability pushing down prices. So, New Zealand as a food exporter is no doubt going to see changes in our ability to produce a variety of products, but at least with water we will be able to keep on producing and demand ahead is looking a reasonably sure bet, despite the current low prices being paid for some products.
4 Comments
I guess stopping water take consents that go along with a section/plot of land might be one of those policies. The ones that allow some offshore company bottle said water into little bottles, in order to ship to countries that don't have clean water. Detrimental any way I look at it.
Restoration of wetlands would act as a sponge, especially in higher altitude headwaters . i.e above Lake Taupo.
off river dam storage would also help , such as damming dry valleys and canal/pumping into them.
In the south Island, diversion of west coast rivers , pumped over to East coast headwaters could help and provide pumped storage, though much of it is in National parks.
Yet our government is turning down hydro projects like the Waitaha hydro scheme, that other companies are willing to pay for and build because it might have an impact on "the character of the area"
It would rather waste 14 billion plus of taxpayer money building something else right at the bottom of the country, than pursue much cheaper and probably cleaner options, given most dams don't need to waste lots of energy pumping water up a hill.
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