As the impacts of sea level rise become more visible in the future, citizens will be faced with decisions on how they live their lives – where they live and work and how they travel and play.
These decisions can be informed by information that is already in the public domain, which can assist you in assessing the impacts of sea level rise on your neighborhood.
The Auckland Council GIS Viewer contains Coastal Inundation map layers that show the potential impacts of sea level rise. These map layers are based on a NIWA coastal inundation study that shows sea level rise scenarios in the next 50 and 100 years. The study uses hydrodynamic models calibrated against tide-gauge and wave buoy measurements to calculate storm-tide and wave setup along the Auckland coastline for average recurrence intervals, plus sea level rise scenarios.
The King Tides Auckland Initiative had a look at the GIS viewer to look at impacts on various parts of Auckland. On Auckland’s North Shore, Browns Bay Town Centre is likely to see coastal inundation over 1 kilometre inland on the basis of these maps.
Browns Bay Town Centre in 2015
Browns Bay 50 Year Annual Return Interval 1m and 2m Sea Level Rise
To have a look at how coastal inundation may affect your property, visit Auckland Council GIS and go to map content and add the “Emergency Management” layer to your map.
The King Tides Auckland Initiative had a look at the potential extent of this inundation during the king tide on the 1st October 2015 at 10:15AM. As the photo shows, this would create impacts for existing home and business owners in the town centre, as well as recreational areas and bus transport routes.
Land in Browns Bay likely to be affected by coastal inundation. Can you see the ocean in the distance?
We all have a responsibility to make informed decisions for the wellbeing of our families and ourselves. When we purchase a house for example, it pays to perform due diligence to ensure a property meets building regulations and can be adequately insured, and to understand about future land uses that impact on your property. Taking the time to make an assessment of the future impact of sea level rise using up to date information is another way to make the best decisions you can for the future.