Our communities and economies are at risk if we do not protect our natural ecosystems and landscapes. That is a key message of the Ministry for the Environment (MfE) and Stats NZ’s latest, three-yearly update about the state of land in Aotearoa New Zealand.

Our land 2024 brings together recently updated Stats NZ indicator data, as well as insights from research literature. The report shows how the ways we use land have wide-ranging effects on our diverse ecosystems and the biodiversity they support, with impacts on our economies, homes, resilience to disasters, cultural identity and public health.

MfE’s Deputy Secretary – Strategy, Stewardship and Performance, Natasha Lewis, says ecosystems, such as soil, indigenous forests, wetlands, flood plains and dunes, are the foundational natural assets and infrastructure that underpin our economy, help to protect us against disasters and support public health. These services include supporting our food sector, reducing soil erosion, draining catchments and protecting coastal areas against storm surges and sea level rise. “We appreciate the benefits that built infrastructure provides, but many of us don’t think of, or value, natural ecosystems and landscapes in the same way,” she says.

Visit our website to read this news story and information release:

· New report highlights importance of natural assets and infrastructure to people and the economy

· New Zealand’s environmental reporting series: Our land 2024

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