The Department of the Prime Minister and Cabinet, and the Ministry for the Environment have developed a Long-term Insights Briefing on a nationally important topic: building New Zealand's long-term resilience to hazards, such as severe weather, pandemics, volcanic activity, and earthquakes.
The Briefing discusses New Zealand's evolving hazard landscape, the tradeoffs and tough decisions New Zealand will need to make, and opportunities for resilience-building.
The full Briefing has been tabled in the house and was examined by the Environment Select Committee in February 2026. It is available here:
Read a summary of the Long-term Insights briefing here:
The timeliness of national resilience discussions in New Zealand
Discussions surrounding national resilience-building are particularly timely. The country faces growing challenges from various hazards, and New Zealanders have been deeply affected by a range of these events.
Enhancing our national resilience will help us mitigate the consequences of disasters, and capture an array of economic, social, and environmental benefits. It will give our people and economy the opportunity to thrive – not just when conditions are easy, but also when they are hard.
What are Long-term Insights Briefings?
Long-term Insights Briefings look at future challenges and opportunities for New Zealand and are a requirement under the Public Service Act 2020. They serve as a conversation starter and public education product.