ABOUT
Toka Ākau Toitū Kaitiakitanga – Building a sustainable future for coastal reef ecosystems
Tau ki Ākau | Ridge to Reef, is a 5 year MBIE funded research project looking at ways to enhance the long term viability of coastal reef systems. It is a mātauranga Māori-led, science informed project that will explore how mātauranga and science come together to create the strongest possible case for achieving sustainable coastal reef ecosystems. This means using all of the threads of knowledge we have at our disposal and weaving them together to create the best possible safety net for coastal reefs and our relationships with them.
WHY
With recent climate-related events, it became increasingly urgent to work at pace to find ways to assist in the remediation and recovery of devastated areas as well as focus on areas where degradation from climate events and land-based activities has been more incremental although potentially as impactful as catastrophic events.
Climate change is challenging our ability to adapt so that ecosystems can endure and thrive. The risk of ecosystem collapse is significant and more tools are needed to reduce that risk.
The climate and development impact stakes for all New Zealanders are high and our current development approaches are producing outcomes that are unknown for some and known but ignored by others, so Tau ki Ākau is designed to systematically heighten people’s awareness of how our decisions and actions affect the taonga/natural assets we still have around us, and enhance the knowledge of us all so we can all play a positive part in ensuring coastal reef ecosystems endure.
Current Locations
What locations are of interest to the project?
The project is a “Ki Uta, Ki Tai – Mountains to Sea” project and so locations were identified because they are a unique range of ecosystems that experience the consequences of modern development in a range of ways. They were also identified because the connectedness between land, rivers and sea is an authentic driver of the relationship between mana whenua and local stakeholders and their surroundings. The project is seeking to define the impacts of development drivers and use mātauranga, historical knowledge, lived experience and science to problem solve and (where appropriate) develop and apply remediation and recovery options.
Tauranga Moana (Project base)
Te Kaha, Raukokore & Waihau Bay
Taranaki