Resource laws and processes have tried to keep politics out of decision making. But this technocratic approach carries its own problems. The challenge is getting the balance right.
Timothy Welch, University of Auckland, Waipapa Taumata Rau; Anna Matheson, Te Herenga Waka — Victoria University of Wellington; Craig Elliffe, University of Auckland, Waipapa Taumata Rau; Dennis Wesselbaum, University of Otago; Hiran Thabrew, University of Auckland, Waipapa Taumata Rau; Julia Talbot-Jones, Te Herenga Waka — Victoria University of Wellington, and Mark Barrow, University of Auckland, Waipapa Taumata Rau
Finance minister Nicola Willis made good on two promises with her first budget – tax cuts and no surprises. But the belt tightening required to do that will have longer-term consequences.
Timothy Welch, University of Auckland, Waipapa Taumata Rau
A report released next week argues the real problem with New Zealand’s inadequate infrastructure is not money – it’s the three-year political cycle. We need a 30-year, cross-party national plan.
Tom Baker, University of Auckland, Waipapa Taumata Rau; Cristina Temenos, University of Manchester, and Kevin Ward, University of Manchester
City deals are being touted as the answer to NZ’s local infrastructure problems. Lessons from the UK and Australia suggest greater transparency and more coherent planning should be on the table too.
US cities are doing green infrastructure, but in bits and pieces. Today’s climate-driven floods require a much broader approach to create true sponge cities that are built to soak up water.
Social inclusion gives slum dwellers a voice to advocate for their rights and interests, leading to more inclusive and equitable policies and practices.
The University of Cape Town’s new report on the impacts of climate change in South Africa found that heatwaves and water stress will affect jobs, deepen inequality, and increase gender-based violence.
Extreme downpours and droughts, both fueled by rising global temperatures, are taking a toll. Communities trying to manage the threats face three big challenges.
A coastal scientist explains why marshes, mangroves and other wetlands can’t keep up with the effects of climate change, and how human infrastructure is making it harder for them to survive.
The tunnel bringing millions of litres of water from dams in Lesotho to South Africa is to undergo a six-month repair. This could leave residents of Gauteng in South Africa short of water.