Particulate matter (PM) is made up of solid and liquid particles in the air. It is grouped according to its size – PM10 is less than 10 micrometres (µm) in diameter; PM2.5 is less than 2.5 µm in diameter. Health effects from exposure to PM include lung and cardiac disease, and premature death. Natural sources of PM include sea salt, dust (airborne soil,...

New Zealand greenhouse gas emissions source and sink summary data by sector and gas for 1990-2015. Data are sourced from the 1990-2015 New Zealand Greenhouse Gas Emissions Inventory. Greenhouse gases (GHGs) absorb heat from Earth’s surface, warming the atmosphere and changing our climate. New Zealand’s share of GHG emissions is very small, but our gross...

DATA SOURCE: National Institute for Water and Atmospheric Research (NIWA) [Technical report available at https://www.mfe.govt.nz/publications/environmental-reporting/ministry-environment-atmosphere-and-climate-report-2020-updated] Adapted by Ministry for the Environment and Statistics New Zealand to provide for environmental reporting transparency Dataset...

Carbon monoxide (CO) is a colourless, odourless and tasteless gas. The most common sources of carbon monoxide are from the incomplete combustion of fossil fuels such as fuel used by vehicles, and from wood and coal, commonly burnt in fires for home heating. Other common sources of carbon monoxide are tobacco smoke and indoor gas fires. It also occurs...

Ground-level (tropospheric) ozone (O3) exists at a natural background level but is also produced when nitrogen oxides (NOx) and volatile organic compounds from vehicle emissions, petrol fumes, industrial processes solvents, and other human-made sources react in the presence of heat and sunlight. It is the primary component of photochemical smog. Ozone...

Adapted by Ministry for the Environment and Statistics New Zealand to provide for environmental reporting transparency. Dataset used to develop the "Lake water quality" indicator (available at https://www.stats.govt.nz/indicators/lake-water-quality). We report on eight biological, chemical, and physical lake water quality attributes based on measurements...

DATA SOURCE: National Institute for Water and Atmospheric Research (NIWA) [Technical report available at https://www.mfe.govt.nz/publications/environmental-reporting/ministry-environment-atmosphere-and-climate-report-2020-updated] Adapted by Ministry for the Environment and Statistics New Zealand to provide for environmental reporting transparency Dataset...

This indicator measures the average percentage of streambed covered by fine sediment for areas of smooth, unbroken water in hard-bottomed, wadeable streams and rivers, at 215 sites across six regions assessed at least bi-monthly for two consecutive years between 2014 and 2019. Summary report available at https://www.mfe.govt.nz/publications/fresh-...

The air pollutant emissions indicator reports on national human-generated (anthropogenic) emissions of particulate matter (PM10 – particles smaller than 10 micrometres and PM2.5 – the subset of PM10 particles that are smaller than 2.5 micrometres), nitrogen oxides (NOx), carbon monoxide (CO), and sulphur dioxide (SO2), between 2012 and 2019. The grouped...

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...

Inhaling particulate matter (PM) containing heavy metals can cause serious health effects (World Health Organization (WHO), 2013). Airborne arsenic is linked to lung cancers (WHO, 2013), and heart, liver, kidney, and nerve damage (Caussy, 2003). Nickel and vanadium are linked to lung and nasal sinus cancers. Lead can impair cognitive function in children...

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...

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”...

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...

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 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...