Pūrangakura Celebrates Significant Funding Award For ‘Wai Ora, Kāinga Ora’ Research

18 September 2024

Pūrangakura, an independent Kaupapa Māori research centre, proudly announces its success in winning a highly competitive 2024 MBIE Endeavour Fund award.

The research project ‘Wai Ora, Kāinga Ora: Integrated Water Solutions for Climate Resilient Communities’ aims to regenerate local waters and ecosystems through intergenerational, kāinga based wai solutions.

The research leaders, Prof. Jenny Lee-Morgan (Waikato, Te Ahiwaru, Ngāti Mahuta) and Dr Emily Afoa (Ngāti Maniapoto, Ngāpuhi) bring together a wealth of experience in Kaupapa Māori research and water engineering.

Dr Emily Afoa says “Typically, water management practices classify water into discrete parts, instead this research de-emphasises these separations between different kinds of wai, seeking what can be learned across systems, with collaboration and through connections”.

Pūrangakura Director, Prof Jenny-Lee Morgan says, “This research will identify innovative practices to inform solutions that reconnect wai with kāinga, and the restoration of healthy wai systems.”

The Kaupapa Māori research team will work alongside Māori communities to enhance their capacity and capability to improve water regeneration practices. This collaborative effort brings together diverse expertise from Mātauranga Māori, science, public policy, engineering, economics and architecture to foster the growth of climate resilient communities.

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