title: Examining the spatial and temporal variability of historical drought events to inform future climate risk in Canterbury

authors: Lovatt, Kate

subjects: canterbury

abstract: Droughts are severe and unpredictable climate hazards that are challenging to predict and quantify.  They are widely regarded as one of the most destructive natural hazards due to their unpredictability and far-reaching impacts, which extend across both time and space.  Droughts affect socioeconomic and environmental systems, with their impacts often cascading beyond the initially impacted areas and systems.  With climate change projected to increase the frequency and intensity of drought events globally, there is a growing need to further knowledge and understanding of drought characteristics to mitigate their impacts and develop effective adaptation strategies. Canterbury, a key agricultural region in New Zealand, is particularly vulnerable to drought.
This study explores the spatiotemporal variability of historical summer droughts in Canterbury using long-term rainfall records from 1950–2022 at twenty five weather stations. The analysis reveals significant spatial and temporal variability in drought rarity and severity, identifying five sub-regional clusters with similar rainfall experiences.  Further investigation of the temporal characteristics of Canterbury droughts at weather stations with at least one hundred years of rainfall data highlighted the extreme 1897/98 drought, which affected much of the region. 

Using a storyline approach, a worst-case drought scenario was developed. The 1897/98 drought was compared with more recent known high impact droughts in 1988/89, 1997/98, and 2000/01 using rainfall and, where available, soil moisture data from two stations situated in the intensive dairying area of the Canterbury Plains.  Each drought exhibited unique characteristics: the 1988/89 event had the driest March–November period on record, while the 2000/01 drought experienced the driest December–May. However, the most severe 15-month rainfall deficits occurred during the 1897/98 drought, marking it as an unprecedented event in Canterbury’s climate history. The findings highlight an increased risk of severe and  prolonged droughts in Canterbury under climate change. 

Understanding historical drought spatiotemporal patterns and constructing a worst-case scenario provide valuable insights for assessing future drought risk, supporting the development of targeted mitigation and adaptation strategies in a changing climate.

text: Examining the spatial and temporal variability of historical drought events to inform future climate risk in Canterbury Droughts are severe and unpredictable climate hazards that are challenging to predict and quantify.  They are widely regarded as one of the most destructive natural hazards due to their unpredictability and far-reaching impacts, which extend across both time and space.  Droughts affect socioeconomic and environmental systems, with their impacts often cascading beyond the initially impacted areas and systems.  With climate change projected to increase the frequency and intensity of drought events globally, there is a growing need to further knowledge and understanding of drought characteristics to mitigate their impacts and develop effective adaptation strategies. Canterbury, a key agricultural region in New Zealand, is particularly vulnerable to drought.
This study explores the spatiotemporal variability of historical summer droughts in Canterbury using long-term rainfall records from 1950–2022 at twenty five weather stations. The analysis reveals significant spatial and temporal variability in drought rarity and severity, identifying five sub-regional clusters with similar rainfall experiences.  Further investigation of the temporal characteristics of Canterbury droughts at weather stations with at least one hundred years of rainfall data highlighted the extreme 1897/98 drought, which affected much of the region. 

Using a storyline approach, a worst-case drought scenario was developed. The 1897/98 drought was compared with more recent known high impact droughts in 1988/89, 1997/98, and 2000/01 using rainfall and, where available, soil moisture data from two stations situated in the intensive dairying area of the Canterbury Plains.  Each drought exhibited unique characteristics: the 1988/89 event had the driest March–November period on record, while the 2000/01 drought experienced the driest December–May. However, the most severe 15-month rainfall deficits occurred during the 1897/98 drought, marking it as an unprecedented event in Canterbury’s climate history. The findings highlight an increased risk of severe and  prolonged droughts in Canterbury under climate change. 

Understanding historical drought spatiotemporal patterns and constructing a worst-case scenario provide valuable insights for assessing future drought risk, supporting the development of targeted mitigation and adaptation strategies in a changing climate.

year: 2025-08

title: Body Image and Eating Attitudes: Comparing Chinese Females with Other Females living in New Zealand

authors: Jenkins, Sherida, L.

subjects: disordered eating

abstract: Eating disorders affect individuals from most ethnic backgrounds. Research suggests that White females experience the greatest levels of disordered eating and body dissatisfaction. Studies examining Chinese females found they experienced similar levels of disordered eating but less body dissatisfaction to White females. This study was conducted to examine the prevalence of eating disorder symptomatology in Chinese and Other ethnicities in New Zealand. A sample of female university students at the University of Waikato completed questionnaires (N=116) to assess disordered eating and body dissatisfaction. In contrast to previous findings Chinese females actually exhibited more disordered eating behaviours and body dissatisfaction attitudes than did other females living in New Zealand. Also, fear of weight gain was more likely to be exhibited by Chinese females than other females. Pressure to be thin came from similar sources for both Chinese and other female students. While, length of time living in New Zealand did not appear to alter Chinese females' levels of disordered eating and body dissatisfaction. However in keeping with previous research, the present findings did suggest that the data from this study support the suggestion that the EAT-26 may not be an appropriate measure for Chinese females when assessing eating disorders. These findings have important implications for future research on ethnicities and eating disorders, and for clinicians working with Chinese female clients.

text: Body Image and Eating Attitudes: Comparing Chinese Females with Other Females living in New Zealand Eating disorders affect individuals from most ethnic backgrounds. Research suggests that White females experience the greatest levels of disordered eating and body dissatisfaction. Studies examining Chinese females found they experienced similar levels of disordered eating but less body dissatisfaction to White females. This study was conducted to examine the prevalence of eating disorder symptomatology in Chinese and Other ethnicities in New Zealand. A sample of female university students at the University of Waikato completed questionnaires (N=116) to assess disordered eating and body dissatisfaction. In contrast to previous findings Chinese females actually exhibited more disordered eating behaviours and body dissatisfaction attitudes than did other females living in New Zealand. Also, fear of weight gain was more likely to be exhibited by Chinese females than other females. Pressure to be thin came from similar sources for both Chinese and other female students. While, length of time living in New Zealand did not appear to alter Chinese females' levels of disordered eating and body dissatisfaction. However in keeping with previous research, the present findings did suggest that the data from this study support the suggestion that the EAT-26 may not be an appropriate measure for Chinese females when assessing eating disorders. These findings have important implications for future research on ethnicities and eating disorders, and for clinicians working with Chinese female clients.

year: 2007

title: Analysis of multibeam sonar data for benthic habitat characterization of the Port of Tauranga, New Zealand.

authors: Boulay, Sebastien O. C.

subjects: Tauranga

abstract: Tauranga Harbour is a mesotidal lagoon located within the Bay of Plenty, New Zealand, and is subject to an ongoing maintenance dredging program to remove mud deposits coming from various sources in the catchment. At the southern end of the commercial port, the Tauranga Bridge Marina was built adjacent to the bridge causeway, with 500 floating concrete berths, enclosed by concrete floating breakwaters. It is proposed to convert these floating breakwaters into solid ones to stop waves entering the marina. This is expected to influence tidal circulation around the Tauranga bridge causeway, and potentially affect sedimentation and marine habitats. The region is an important source of "kai moana" (seafood) for local iwi, and is a source of juvenile shellfish for the large beds located on the flood tidal delta and surrounding channels.

This study investigates the impact of the successive harbour constructions on the local sedimentology. The overall goal of the mapping part of this project is to identify and locate the different seabed facies and features within the study site, which may be affected by the sediment transport potentially resulting from the past and future harbour developments. 

To investigate the impacts of the harbour modifications, a habitat-mapping survey using acoustic mapping techniques was undertaken in July and August 2011. The hydrographic survey was simultaneously performed using a multibeam echosounder (Kongsberg-Simrad EM3000) and a Starfish 452F sidescan sonar. The backscatter/imagery data from both systems was then used for habitat mapping, using a combination of Angular Response Analysis and image-based segmentation. An underwater camera survey and seabed sampling were also performed to ground-truth the morphologies identified from the acoustic backscatter analysis. The most recent habitat map was then compared to the previous studies to identify changes in response to the different modifications of the estuary.

text: Analysis of multibeam sonar data for benthic habitat characterization of the Port of Tauranga, New Zealand. Tauranga Harbour is a mesotidal lagoon located within the Bay of Plenty, New Zealand, and is subject to an ongoing maintenance dredging program to remove mud deposits coming from various sources in the catchment. At the southern end of the commercial port, the Tauranga Bridge Marina was built adjacent to the bridge causeway, with 500 floating concrete berths, enclosed by concrete floating breakwaters. It is proposed to convert these floating breakwaters into solid ones to stop waves entering the marina. This is expected to influence tidal circulation around the Tauranga bridge causeway, and potentially affect sedimentation and marine habitats. The region is an important source of "kai moana" (seafood) for local iwi, and is a source of juvenile shellfish for the large beds located on the flood tidal delta and surrounding channels.

This study investigates the impact of the successive harbour constructions on the local sedimentology. The overall goal of the mapping part of this project is to identify and locate the different seabed facies and features within the study site, which may be affected by the sediment transport potentially resulting from the past and future harbour developments. 

To investigate the impacts of the harbour modifications, a habitat-mapping survey using acoustic mapping techniques was undertaken in July and August 2011. The hydrographic survey was simultaneously performed using a multibeam echosounder (Kongsberg-Simrad EM3000) and a Starfish 452F sidescan sonar. The backscatter/imagery data from both systems was then used for habitat mapping, using a combination of Angular Response Analysis and image-based segmentation. An underwater camera survey and seabed sampling were also performed to ground-truth the morphologies identified from the acoustic backscatter analysis. The most recent habitat map was then compared to the previous studies to identify changes in response to the different modifications of the estuary.

year: 2012