New Zealanders must make way for water due to rapidly rising sea levels

“Traumatic forced departure”

It places the government before a difficult choice: what is protected, where should it withdraw? The question of who bears the costs is also politically sensitive.

New Zealand local government chairman Stuart Crosby said it was unacceptable for the financial responsibility to rest solely with the residents or municipalities concerned. Furthermore, he argues that abandoning the habitat should be a last resort. “The forced eviction is very traumatic for the residents,” he told RNZ.

New legislation needed

New legislation is needed to force citizens to leave a risk area. It’s a political challenge, requiring government and opposition support, Carr said. “We need strong leaders, and the community needs to support them in making these tough decisions. We need to be guided by science,” the climate commissioner said.

According to the government, adaptation to the consequences of climate change is necessary. But at the same time, Prime Minister Ardern has called for a reduction in greenhouse gas emissions to prevent further sea level rise.

“We must not simply accept sea levels rising even more than is already predicted,” Ardern said in response to the study. “We must all contribute to limiting further climate change as much as possible.”