The 15 class Benthic-Optimised Marine Environment Classification (BOMEC). The BOMEC divides the benthic environment into ecosystem types. These are grouped into three inshore groups, three continental shelf groups, and nine deeper-water groups. Each group represents areas with similar environmental variables, such as depth, temperature, salinity, and...

Data are for 15 measures of coastal water quality at monitored sites in New Zealand. These 15 measures are dissolved oxygen, pH, salinity, temperature, visual clarity, turbidity, suspended solids, ammoniacal nitrogen, nitrate-nitrite nitrogen, total nitrogen, dissolved reactive phosphorus, total phosphorus, faecal coliforms, enterococci, and...

Annual rainfall trends for 30 representative sites from 1960–2016. Rain is vital for life – it supplies the water we need to drink and to grow our food, keeps our ecosystems healthy, and supplies our electricity. New Zealand’s mountainous terrain and location in the roaring forties mean rainfall varies across the country. Changes in rainfall amount or...

DATA SOURCE: Ministry for the Environment Adapted by Ministry for the Environment and Statistics New Zealand to provide for environmental reporting transparency Dataset used to develop the "New Zealand's greenhouse gas emissions" indicator [available at https://www.stats.govtnz/indicators/new-zealanads-greenhouse-gas-emissions] This indicator measures New...

In 2013, 37 percent of homes burned wood and 4 percent burned coal for heating. Burning wood or coal for home heating emits a range of air pollutants. It is the main human-made source of particulate matter and a significant contributor of carbon monoxide. Exposure to these pollutants can damage health, with effects ranging from respiratory irritation to...

New Zealand’s four million km2 marine environment is diverse, with a range of coastal habitats and offshore seabed environments. There are also many marine species unique to New Zealand. Marine protected areas conserve or manage some of these unique habitats and species, while a range of other tools also provide marine protection. We report on the area...

Extreme wave indexes estimate the occurrence of extreme wave events in coastal and oceanic waters. Extreme wave indexes estimate the number of times a significant wave height exceeds one of three threshold values for at least 12 hours in 24 marine regions. The three wave-height thresholds are four metres, six metres, and eight metres. This indicator...

INDEX ONLY: These footprints are the index for the 'Sentinel2 2022 Mainland NZ' mosaic. It has been provided to enable users to explore coverage and capture dates of the component imagery. To enquire about ordering the imagery itself, please e-mail lucas[at]mfe.govt.nz. ​ This imagery is 10m, ten-band multispectral 1 (“B2” 490nm), 2 (“B3” 560nm), 3 (“B4”...

Wetlands support unique biodiversity and provide important services. They clean water of excess nutrients and sediment, help absorb floodwaters, and act as carbon sinks (remove carbon dioxide from the atmosphere). They also have cultural importance for Māori, and provide valuable food and materials (eg flax). Draining wetlands for agricultural and urban...

PM2.5 is made up of solid and liquid particles in the air with a diameter of less than 2.5 micrometres. In New Zealand, most PM2.5 in the air results from combustion (burning wood for home heating, motor-vehicle exhaust), and to a lesser extent, particles formed from reactions in the atmosphere (secondary PM) and naturally occurring sea salt. Short- and...

DATA SOURCE: Manaaki Whenua - Landcare Research [Technical report available at https://environment.govt.nz/publications/land-fragmentation-environmental-reporting-indicator-technical-methods-for-analysis-from-2002-to-2019] Adapted by Ministry for the Environment and Statistics New Zealand to provide for environmental reporting transparency Dataset used to...

"The rates of death (mortality) of indigenous tree species vary across New Zealand. Changes in the state of the environment (such as from browsing pests, large-scale weather events, or climate change) may change the rates of mortality of particular tree species. This in turn may alter forest processes. Repeated surveys of the distribution of mortality...

"The rates of establishment (recruitment) of indigenous tree species vary across New Zealand. Changes in the state of the environment (such as from browsing pests, large-scale weather events, or climate change) may change the rates of recruitment of particular tree species. This in turn may alter forest processes. Repeated surveys of the distribution of...

Trends in daily peak UV index values at Invercargill, Lauder (Otago region), Christchurch, Paraparaumu (Wellington region), and Leigh (Auckland region). The strength of UV light is expressed as a solar UV index, starting from 0 (no UV) to 11+ (extreme). Exposure to the sun's ultraviolet (UV) light helps our bodies make vitamin D, which we need for healthy...

The New Zealand River Environment Classification (REC) organises information about the physical characteristics of New Zealand's rivers. Individual river sections are mapped according to physical factors such as climate, source of flow for the river water, topography, and geology, and catchment land cover eg, forest, pasture or urban. Sections of river...

The trends in the number of warm days for the 30 temperature sites across New Zealand are presented from 1972 to 2022. Warm days are days with a daily maximum temperature above 25 degrees Celsius. The number of warm days change from year to year in response to variable weather patterns and climate drivers. Climate models project we may experience more...

Two measures of rainfall intensity - percent of annual precipitation in the 95th percentile (r95ptot) and annual maximum one-day rainfall (rx1day). Intense rainfall can result in flash floods or land slips that damage homes and property, disrupt transportation, and endanger lives. It can also interfere with recreation and increase erosion. Changes to the...

NEW FILE 21/04/2017 (See "Land domain updates" page for details; http://www.stats.govt.nz/browse_for_stats/environment/environmental-reporting-series/environmental-indicators/Home/Land/land-domain-updates.aspx) Different land uses put pressure on the land environment and can result in changes to soil health. Healthy soil supports the productivity of...

New Zealand’s four million km2 marine environment is diverse, with a range of coastal habitats and offshore seabed environments. There are also many marine species unique to New Zealand. Marine protected areas conserve or manage some of these unique habitats and species, while a range of other tools also provide marine protection. We report on the area...

The number of farms involved in agricultural activities, and how they are changing, is important because agricultural activities can affect soil health and water. Agricultural activities include beef and sheep, dairy, arable, horticulture, deer, pigs, and other livestock.