Research funding to empower whānau facing coastal climate change

Published date : Wed, 01 April 2026 04:37 pm

Te Whare Wānanga o Awanuiārangi secures $300,000 to empower rangatahi and whānau facing coastal climate change

Te Whare Wānanga o Awanuiārangi has been awarded nearly $300,000 in research funding from the Centre of Research Excellence Coastal People: Southern Skies, for development and delivery of an Earth Science Kete project as part of the Our Changing Coast research collective.

The funding will enable researchers to create and distribute hands-on Earth Science kete to schools and communities, beginning with a pilot programme in the Bay of Plenty. These kete are designed to support tamariki, rangatahi and their whānau to better understand coastal change, climate impacts and vertical land movement, while strengthening resilience, confidence and future-focused decision-making.

Each kete brings earth science learning to life through interactive tools that connect people directly to the whenua and moana. Activities include coastal climate change games, earthquake shake tables, ice-melting experiments to explore sea-level rise, laser tools for observing land movement, emergency preparedness planning, and food resilience kits that support local growing. The kete are grounded in kaupapa Māori approaches, weaving together mātauranga Māori, western science, pūrākau and collective learning.

Dr Mawera Karetai (Kai Tahu, Kāti Māmoe, Waitaha, Rapuwai), Project Lead for Te Whare Wānanga o Awanuiārangi, says the kaupapa responds directly to the realities facing coastal whānau.

“The Wānanga’s focus within the Our Changing Coast research project has been on using education to enable coastal whānau to address climate anxiety, build resilience, and prepare tamariki and rangatahi for the future.”

The project recognises that climate impacts are not experienced equally, and that Māori communities are often on the frontline of coastal change.

“In the Bay of Plenty, Māori are disproportionately affected by climate change impacts. Our pilot programme will focus on engaging rangatahi Māori and their whānau, on the basis that what is good for Māori is good for everyone,” says Dr Karetai.

By putting practical tools into the hands of learners and families, the Earth Science Kete programme aims to demystify complex earth science concepts and empower communities to build their own locally grounded knowledge. Over time, this knowledge supports informed planning, strengthens kaitiakitanga, and grows confidence for future leaders making decisions about living with a changing coast.

Following the Bay of Plenty pilot, Awanuiārangi plans to expand the programme to other coastal communities across Aotearoa and into the Pacific, as further funding partnerships are secured.