Policy tool uses storm tide data to aid climate adaptation

New Zealand scientists have developed a data analysis system that will help local governments in coastal areas adapt to climate change impacts such as rising sea levels, floods and erosion.

The system is based on monitoring small events, such as storm tides, to signal the likelihood of larger events such as storm surges and coastal flooding during extreme weather.

The researchers used storm tide records and computer modelling to predict rates of sea level rise and flooding over the next decade at six NZ coastal sites, and compared these with sites in Germany, Mexico, Tanzania, the UK and the United States.