Is Southland prepared for freshwater hazards?
Posted on Wednesday, 14 September 2011 04:01 p.m.
It's a region that has a reputation of getting its fair share of freshwater tumbling from the sky but how well prepared is Southland for the times when there's too much, or when it disappears all together?
Floods and drought have the most potential to harm us or things we value and climactic variability has a spot reserved for future influence in Southland according to the Our Threats report released today.
Our Threats, which is part of a four-part series reports written by Environment Southland in collaboration with Te Ao Marama Incorporated evaluates those threats and begs the question of how ready Southland is to cope with a hazardous freshwater event.
Environment Southland Senior Scientist Dr Jane Kitson said by in large Southland is well equipped for most freshwater hazards; however the report does identify some areas that are more exposed to risk than others.
Environment Southland had effective tools and warning systems to advise the community of an impending hazard particularly for a flood event but also for droughts with its Water Shortage Standard Operating Procedure.
Climactic variability from climate change could cause new threats for Southland and that needed to be recognised in future planning, Dr Kitson said.
The report also illustrated the need for Southlanders to increase their own preparedness in the event of a natural hazard, she said.
A survey of Southland residents in 2010 indicated that while we are aware of the risk, just 23% had supplies in a prepared emergency kit, only 34% a plan for a civil defence emergency, and 66% did not have an emergency plan.
"We hope that might have changed since the 2010 and 2011 Christchurch earthquakes."
Our Threats was released in conjunction with the Our Ecosystems report and is the third in a series of four that make up Southland Water 2010: Report on the State of Southland’s Freshwater Environment.
You can download the Our Threats report here
Environment Southland is the brand name of Southland Regional Council.