Natural hazards

Natural hazards are naturally occurring events that cause environmental damage and threaten human life, property and infrastructure. Natural hazards include phenomena such as erosion, subsidence, earthquakes, flooding and volcanic eruptions. 

This section describes the different types of natural hazards, how they are caused and the risks they create.  It also looks at how risk from natural hazards is managed in New Zealand, describing the key legislation that regulates this.    The implementation of coastal hazard responses is addressed, including policy approaches such as managed retreat, protective infrastructure and adaptive design.

Last updated at 1:00PM on February 8, 2018