Potential evapotranspiration deficit (PED) can be thought of as a drought index. It is the difference between how much water could potentially be lost from the soil through evapotranspiration and how much is actually available. When PED is high, plants do not have the full amount of water available they need for growth. As our climate changes, increasing...

Potential evapotranspiration deficit (PED) can be thought of as a drought index. It is the difference between how much water could potentially be lost from the soil through evapotranspiration and how much is actually available. When PED is high, plants do not have the full amount of water available they need for growth. As our climate changes, increasing...

This dataset shows the trends of annual growing degree days (GDD) for 30 sites across New Zealand from at least 1972 to 2019. GDD are the total number of degrees Celsius above a base threshold temperature for each day. We use a base threshold of 10 degrees Celsius to report on the annual GDD for each of these sites and trends. Growing degree days (GDD)...

One third of our land area is held as public conservation land and managed by the Department of Conservation (DOC) to protect natural and cultural heritage, retain areas of wilderness and enable recreation opportunities. Although the use of public conservation land makes an important socio-economic contribution at the local, regional and national level,...

This data measures the numbers of farmed livestock (dairy and beef cattle, deer, and sheep) over time across New Zealand. Livestock farming is a widespread land use in New Zealand and is a large contributor to our economy. High livestock numbers and the distribution of livestock across land environments can affect indigenous biodiversity and soil health...

DATA SOURCE: Statistics New Zealand Agricultural Production Survey (APS) Adapted by Ministry for the Environment and Statistics New Zealand to provide for environmental reporting transparency Dataset used to develop the "Farm numbers and size" indicator [available at https://www.stats.govt.nz/indicators/farm-numbers-and-size] ​ We present the number and...

We report on drought frequency, duration, severity, and intensity at three different time scales, short-term (3 months), medium-term (6 months) and long-term (12 months). These different time scales are approximately equivalent to meteorological, agricultural, and hydrological drought, respectively. We do this for 30 sites across Aotearoa New Zealand...

Adapted by Ministry for the Environment and Statistics New Zealand to provide for environmental reporting transparency. Dataset used to develop the "River water quality: macroinvertebrate community index" indicator (available at https://www.stats.govt.nz/indicators/river-water-quality-macroinvertebrate-community-index). Benthic macroinvertebrates are...

The dataset maps areas of winter forage cropping and intensive winter grazing occurring in hill country areas during 2018. Hill country is defined as areas where paddocks have an average slope of greater than 7 degrees. Paddocks are classified into crop type and a measure is provided of the proportion of bare ground within the paddock after grazing.

Adapted by Ministry for the Environment and Statistics New Zealand to provide for environmental reporting transparency. Dataset used to develop the "Wetland area" indicator (available at https://www.stats.govt.nz/indicators/wetland-area). This dataset measures change in wetland area in New Zealand from 1996 to 2018. We report on net change in wetland area...

Percent of land deforested in each Territorial Authority unit from 2008–2014. New Zealand’s indigenous and exotic forests absorb carbon dioxide (CO2) from the atmosphere through photosynthesis and store the carbon as biomass and in the soil. On average, more than twice as much carbon per hectare is stored in New Zealand’s mature indigenous forests than in...

Monthly average 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...

Wetlands support high levels of biodiversity. They provide habitat for native invertebrates, plants, fish, and bird species (eg fernbird, kōkopu, and eels), many of which live only in wetlands. Wetlands act as ‘kidneys’ and giant sponges – they clean the water of excess nutrients and sediment, control flood water and pollutants, and act as carbon sinks...

This dataset measures the strength of extreme wind at 30 sites across Aotearoa New Zealand from 1980 to 2022. For individual sites we present the trends for the annual average of the daily maximum wind gust, and the annual maximum wind gust. The annual average of the daily maximum wind gust provides information on windiness, while the annual maximum wind...

Data are 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 chlorophyll-a....

This data set measures the rise in annual mean sea level relative to land referenced to the latest Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) 1995 to 2014 baseline period mean sea level at four longer-term sites between 1901 and 2020: • Auckland • Wellington • Lyttelton • Dunedin and two additional sites with shorter time series: • Moturiki, Mount...

Adapted by Ministry for the Environment and Statistics New Zealand to provide for environmental reporting transparency. Dataset used to develop the “River water quality: Nitrogen” indicator, (available at https://www.stats.govt.nz/indicators/river-water-quality-nitrogen). Nitrogen in river waters is one of five parameters that provide an overview of New...

This indicator measures the number of frost days for 30 sites across Aotearoa New Zealand from at least 1972 to 2022. The number of frost days changes from year to year in response to variable weather patterns, and their occurrence is also influenced by climate change. Climate models project we may experience fewer cold and more warm extremes in the...

This data set measures the rise in annual mean sea level relative to land referenced to the latest Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) 1995 to 2014 baseline period mean sea level at four longer-term sites between 1901 and 2020: • Auckland • Wellington • Lyttelton • Dunedin and two additional sites with shorter time series: • Moturiki, Mount...

These data provide a snap shot of beach litter surveys submitted by Citizen Scientist ‘Monitoring Groups’ up to April, 2019. As defined by the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP, 2009), marine litter is any persistent, manufactured or processed solid material discarded, disposed of, abandoned or lost in the marine and coastal environment. Marine...