Environment of New Zealand
The environment of New Zealand is characterised by unique flora and fauna and a variety of landforms contained within a small island nation. Historically having an isolated and endemic ecosystem far into modernity, the arrival of Polynesians about 1280 and then later European settlers began to have significant impacts on this system, with the intentional and unintentional introduction of new species and plants which often overwhelmed their natural competitors, leading to a significant loss of native ecology and biodiversity, especially in areas such as bird life.
Today, most parts of New Zealand are heavily modified by the effects of logging, agriculture and general human settlement, though large areas have also been placed under protection, combined in many cases with efforts to protect or regenerate native ecosystems (aided by the fact that especially the South Island of New Zealand has only a very low population density).
Contents
- 1 Biota
- 2 Climate
- 3 Geography
- 4 Protected areas
- 5 Evaluations of New Zealand's environmental performance
- 6 Environment and politics
- 7 Environmental law
- 8 Treaties and international agreements
- 9 Environmental funding
- 10 Environmental issues
- 11 See also
- 12 References
- 13 The New Zealand environment in film
- 14 Further reading
- 15 External links
Biota
The biota of New Zealand is one of the most unusual on Earth, due to its long isolation from other continental landmasses. Its affinities are derived in part from Gondwana, from which it separated 82 million years ago, some modest affinities with New Caledonia and Lord Howe Island, both of which are part of the same continental plate as New Zealand and in part from Australia.
More recently a component has been introduced by humans. New Zealand's biodiversity exhibits high levels of endemism, both in its flora and fauna. Until recently the islands had no native terrestrial mammals except for bats (although mammals did exist in New Zealand until 19 million years ago), the main component of the fauna being insects and birds. Its flora is dominated by Gondwanan plants, comprising historically of forests, most famously the giant kauri. New Zealand has developed a national Biodiversity Action Plan to address conservation of considerable numbers of threatened flora and fauna within New Zealand.
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Fauna
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Birds
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Mammals
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The only terrestrial mammals that were in New Zealand prior to human habitation were three species of bat. A number of marine mammals are found on the coast and waters of New Zealand. Maori and European settlers introduced a wide range of mammals some of which have become serious invasive species.
Flora
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New Zealand has a richly varied flora of imported and native species, the indigenous varieties having developed quite significantly due to the geographic isolation of the country before human migration and plant imports became common. However, the combination of external factors such as climate change and invasive species, as well as increasing agricultural and other human land uses have led to widespread damage. New Zealand's forest ecosystems for example are being considered as the second most endangered of the world, with only 7% of the natural habitat remaining.[1]
Climate
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The climate of New Zealand is mostly cool temperate in the south and warm temperate in the north, with the exception of the North Island Volcanic plateau. Rainfall varies from a low of 325 mm in central Otago to an average of 5-8,000 mm in Fiordland. Most lowland areas have ample rainfall for farming and habitation. In the South Island, the high Southern Alps, which run north–south, cause a marked difference between the west and east coast climates.
Geography
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For a small country the geography is extremely varied in both landforms and altitude.
Protected areas
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Evaluations of New Zealand's environmental performance
State of the Environment reporting
The Ministry for the Environment has produced two State of the Environment reports to date, one in 1997[2] and the other in 2007.[3]
OECD environmental performance review
In 2007, the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) conducted an environmental performance review of New Zealand. Some of the main conclusions and recommendations were that:[4]
- energy intensity is about equal to the OECD average
- intensity of water, fertiliser, and pesticide use is low for OECD countries. However, the review period saw 'significant increases, with consequent growth in pressures on the environment'
- New Zealand should strengthen national policy guidance (policy statements, national environmental standards)
- New Zealand should further integrate environmental concerns into economic and sectoral decisions, particularly by using economic instruments to internalise environmental costs of economic activities
- New Zealand should further develop international environmental cooperation.
Environmental Performance Index
The Environmental Performance Index (EPI) is a method of quantifying and numerically benchmarking the environmental performance of a country's policies. In the 2012 Yale EPI Index, New Zealand's ranking was 14th overall. In terms of ecosystem effects on water quality New Zealand scored 40.3 points out of 100 for ecosystem vitality for freshwater and was ranked 43rd out of 132 countries.[6][7]
| Year | Ranking/Total | Score |
|---|---|---|
| 2006 | 1/133 | 88 |
| 2008 | 7/149 | 88.9 |
| 2010* | 15/163 | 73.4 |
| 2011 | 14/132 | 66 |
- 2010 data is provisional
Environment and politics
The Values Party formed in 1973, the first ever national level environmental party. The Green Party of Aotearoa New Zealand formed in 1991 which included some members from the defunct Values Party, and was initially in Parliament as part of the Alliance Party. They currently have nine MPs that put forward green political ideology.
The level of protection of the environment from the different political parties varies according to their position on the left-right political spectrum. The right wing ACT Party scores the lowest and the left wing Green Party scores the highest.
| Party | 2002 | 2005 | 2008 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Alliance | 56% | ||
| ACT Party | 10% | 10% | |
| Green Party | 97% | 97% | 97% |
| Labour Party | 57% | 61% | 44% |
| Maori Party | 83% | 87% | |
| National Party | 27% | 43% | 27% |
| NZ First | 59% | 50% | 78% |
| Progressive Party | 76% | 81% | 60% |
| United Future | 28% | 48% | 53% |
Environmental law
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The roots of New Zealand environmental law can be traced to the common law of Britain. The increasing environmental awareness of the 1960s led to a specific body of environmental law that developed in many Western countries including New Zealand. Environmental law became more integrated in the 1980s with the passing of the Environment Act 1986 and the Conservation Act 1987. These Acts set up the Ministry for the Environment, Parliamentary Commissioner for the Environment and the New Zealand Department of Conservation.
The most significant Act of Parliament concerning environmental law was the passing of Resource Management Act in 1991. Issues under the Act are adjudicated by the Environment Court of New Zealand.
Treaties and international agreements
New Zealand is a signatory to a number of treaties and international agreements:[9]
- The Framework Convention on Climate Change, 1992 – ratified on 8 September 1993
- The Convention on Biological Diversity, 1992 – ratified on 16 September 1993
- The Montreal Protocol on Substances that Deplete the Ozone Layer, 1989 – ratified on 21 July 1988
- The Antarctic Treaty, 1959 – ratified on 1 November 1960 – Convention for the Conservation of Antarctic Marine Living Resources, 1980 – ratified on 8 March 1982 – and others
- United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea, 1982 – ratified on 19 July 1996
- The Basel Convention on the Control of Transboundary Movements of Hazardous Wastes and their Disposal, 1989 – ratified on 20 December 1994
- The Stockholm Convention on Persistent Organic Pollutants 2001 – ratified on 24 September 2004.
- Convention on the Prevention of Marine Pollution by Dumping of Wastes and Other Matter, 1971 (London [Dumping] Convention) – ratified on 30 April 1975 – and the International Convention for the Prevention of Pollution from Ships, 1973 – not yet ratified
- The Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Flora and Fauna, 1973 – acceded to on 10 May 1989
- The Convention on Wetlands of International Importance especially as Waterfowl Habitat, 1971 (Ramsar Convention) – signed on 13 August 1976 with effect from 13 December 1976
- Convention for the Prohibition of Fishing with Long Driftnets in the South Pacific, 1989 (Wellington Convention) – ratified on 17 May 1991
- South Pacific Nuclear Free Zone Treaty, 1985 – ratified on 13 November 1986
- Convention for the Protection of the Natural Resources and Environment of the South Pacific Region, 1986 [SPREP] – ratified on 3 May 1990
- The Cartagena Protocol on Biosafety to the Convention on Biological Diversity – ratified on 24 February 2005
New Zealand is a depositary to the following environmental treaties:[10]
- Convention on the Regulation of Antarctic Mineral Resource Activities
- Convention for the Conservation and Management of Highly Migratory Fish Stocks in the Western and Central Pacific Ocean (WCPFC)
- Convention for the Prohibition of Fishing with Long Driftnets in the South Pacific
- Protocol I to the Convention for the Prohibition of Fishing with Long Driftnets in the South Pacific
- Protocol II to the Convention for the Prohibition of Fishing with Long Driftnets in the South Pacific
Environmental funding
There are a number of different sources for environmental funding in New Zealand.
The Nature Heritage Fund is a New Zealand Government funding body set up in 1990, and administered by the Department of Conservation, for the purchase of land which has significant ecological or landscape features.
To support community efforts, the Community Conservation Fund is available. Funding is for established community groups that have an ecological restoration project on public land that can be sustained after the two year funding period.
There are also Biodiversity Funds.[11][12]
Environmental issues
As with many other countries there are a number of environmental organizations that are working towards addressing various environmental issues in New Zealand.
The move to carry out genetic engineering in New Zealand is opposed by environmentalists on economic and environmental grounds and the release of genetically modified organisms now has a strict regulatory regime under the Hazardous Substances and New Organisms Act.
Mining in New Zealand often encounters opposition from environmentalists. Coal mining in the West Coast Region is of concern and there are plans to start the Cypress Mine, the Escarpment Mine Project, the Mt William North Mining Project, as well as issues at the long established Stockton Mine. Lignite mining in the Southland Region is also encountering opposition.[13] Hydraulic fracturing (fracking) is also of concern. A proposed soapstone mine in the Cobb Valley has also raised environmental concerns.[14]
Water pollution in New Zealand is an ongoing issue. Fish and Game, a statutory government body, started a dirty dairying campaign to highlight water pollution due to dairy farming. It led to the creation in 2003 of the Dairying and Clean Streams Accord, a voluntary agreement between Fonterra, Ministry for the Environment, Ministry of Agriculture and Forestry, and regional councils. A 2009 study showed that the Manawatu River was found that the river had the highest gross primary production (GPP) compared to 300 rivers and streams in the Western world.[15] High GPP rates are an indication of poor ecological health and can lead to various environmental issues.
The management of waste in New Zealand has become more regulated to reduce associated environmental issues.
Deforestation in New Zealand is now of negligible concern since logging indigenous forest on public land has ceased and it requires a permit to be carried out on privately owned land. In the past 800 years of human occupation New Zealand has lost 75% of its forests due to deliberately lit fires and land clearance.
Biodiversity of New Zealand is rich and diverse but in serious decline.[16]
See also
- Sustainability in New Zealand
- Conservation in New Zealand
- Timeline of the New Zealand environment
- Pollution in New Zealand
- Deforestation in New Zealand
- Climate change in New Zealand
- The Environment and Conservation Organisations of Aotearoa New Zealand umbrella body
References
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- ↑ OECD (2007). Conclusions and Recommendations: OECD Environmental Performance Reviews: New Zealand. OECD, Paris
- ↑ http://epi.yale.edu/Countries/NewZealand
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- ↑ Vote for the Environment. Environmentvote.org.nz. Retrieved on 19 August 2011.
- ↑ Multilateral Environmental Agreements | Ministry for the Environment. Mfe.govt.nz (5 November 2010). Retrieved on 19 August 2011.
- ↑ Treaties and International Law – Treaties for which New Zealand is the depositary – NZ Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Trade (13 May 2011). Retrieved on 19 August 2011.
- ↑ http://feeds.beehive.govt.nz/release/important+ecosystems+receive+support+nationwide
- ↑ http://feeds.beehive.govt.nz/release/important+ecosystems+receive+support+nationwide+0
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The New Zealand environment in film
- Wild South series
- He Ao Wera – a documentary by Mike Smith and Hinekaa Mako about the effects of climate change on communities in Aotearoa.
- Earth Whisperers/Papatuanuku – this Kathleen Gallagher film was shot around New Zealand by cameramen Alun Bollinger and Mike Single. It focuses on 10 visionary New Zealanders out to prove that a shift in consciousness can heal our environment.
Further reading
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External links
- Ministry for the Environment
- Department of Conservation
- Parliamentary Commissioner for the Environment
- Ecological Economics Research centre New Zealand (formerly known as the New Zealand Centre for Ecological Economics)
- Environlink – a regional council driven funding scheme for research
- ourfuture.net.nz – a project for mapping environmental initiatives in New Zealand
- www.greenpages.org.nz - a directory of environmental organisations in Aotearoa
