title: Spatial risk-based assessments for climate adaptation using the SimCLIM modelling system: a case study of domestic rainwater harvesting as the sole source of water

authors: Warrick, R.

subjects: adaptation

abstract: This paper describes a software modelling system, SimCLIM, for simulating the effects of climate variability and change, and demonstrates its application to domestic rainwater harvesting (RWH). The paper first describes SimCLIM and then focuses on a case study of the reliability of domestic RWH systems as the sole source of water in South East Queensland, a region of high spatial and temporal variability in rainfall. Using the SimCLIM scenario generator along with gridded daily time-series data and a domestic water tank model, 'risk landscapes' are created based on the risk of failure of the domestic systems to provide water under both current climate and scenarios of future change. Steep risk gradients were found, with major implications for RWH system configuration. Simulations are then performed in order to examine the trade-offs between two broad strategies - increasing runoff area and increasing tank size - required to maintain a reliable system. The paper concludes that, instead of set specifications, location-specific customisation of RWH systems is preferable in order to ensure reliability under current rainfall variability and sustainability over the long term under climate change. The availability of gridded daily rainfall datasets along with modelling tools like SimCLIM makes this customisation practicable.

text: Spatial risk-based assessments for climate adaptation using the SimCLIM modelling system: a case study of domestic rainwater harvesting as the sole source of water This paper describes a software modelling system, SimCLIM, for simulating the effects of climate variability and change, and demonstrates its application to domestic rainwater harvesting (RWH). The paper first describes SimCLIM and then focuses on a case study of the reliability of domestic RWH systems as the sole source of water in South East Queensland, a region of high spatial and temporal variability in rainfall. Using the SimCLIM scenario generator along with gridded daily time-series data and a domestic water tank model, 'risk landscapes' are created based on the risk of failure of the domestic systems to provide water under both current climate and scenarios of future change. Steep risk gradients were found, with major implications for RWH system configuration. Simulations are then performed in order to examine the trade-offs between two broad strategies - increasing runoff area and increasing tank size - required to maintain a reliable system. The paper concludes that, instead of set specifications, location-specific customisation of RWH systems is preferable in order to ensure reliability under current rainfall variability and sustainability over the long term under climate change. The availability of gridded daily rainfall datasets along with modelling tools like SimCLIM makes this customisation practicable.

year: 2012

title: A Spatial Econometric Analysis of Selected Local Labour Market Outcomes in New Zealand

authors: Cochrane, William

abstract: This thesis analyses several aspects of local labour market performance in New Zealand. Each of these aspects represents a different feature of the local labour market that together aim to provide a comprehensive understanding of how local labour markets respond to local or external shocks, taking spatial dependencies into account. The first aspect considered is the change in regional employment outcomes in New Zealand from the 1980’s to 2006. This is examined using shiftshare techniques supplemented by exploratory spatial data analysis. The analysis finds that in general, region specific factors were more important than industry structure in explaining total employment change in a region and that productivity and/or demand shocks spill over between regions. The relationship between homeownership and unemployment is the second aspect considered. Particularly, Oswald has argued that disparities in unemployment rates maybe attributable to differences in homeownership rates, higher homeownership rates being associated with higher unemployment rates. Using spatial panel models this claim is supported in the New Zealand context. The spatial estimation strategy adopted yields parameter estimates significantly lower than the standard fixed effects model. This indicates that in the non-spatial models some of the variation in regional unemployment rates has been incorrectly attributed to the explanatory variables rather than to the presence of some spatial spillover effects of unemployment across regions. Thirdly, the thesis investigates the extent to which the spatial-temporal variation in local labour market outcomes and social security benefit uptake can be linked to the composition of the local labour force. This is investigated using spatial seemingly unrelated regression. The results indicate that three factors in particular matter in the determination of labour market participation and social security benefit uptake: the age structure of the population, the past performance of the regional labour market and the proportion of solo parents. Lastly a simultaneous equations growth model of real income, population, land rent and public infrastructure investment is developed that allows the impact of local authority infrastructure spending in New Zealand to be assessed for the 1996-2006 period. The results of the estimation of this system of equations, using a spatial three stage least squares (3SLS) procedure, show that an increase in local infrastructure spending increases population growth, real income and land values, but is itself endogenous and spatially correlated.

text: A Spatial Econometric Analysis of Selected Local Labour Market Outcomes in New Zealand This thesis analyses several aspects of local labour market performance in New Zealand. Each of these aspects represents a different feature of the local labour market that together aim to provide a comprehensive understanding of how local labour markets respond to local or external shocks, taking spatial dependencies into account. The first aspect considered is the change in regional employment outcomes in New Zealand from the 1980’s to 2006. This is examined using shiftshare techniques supplemented by exploratory spatial data analysis. The analysis finds that in general, region specific factors were more important than industry structure in explaining total employment change in a region and that productivity and/or demand shocks spill over between regions. The relationship between homeownership and unemployment is the second aspect considered. Particularly, Oswald has argued that disparities in unemployment rates maybe attributable to differences in homeownership rates, higher homeownership rates being associated with higher unemployment rates. Using spatial panel models this claim is supported in the New Zealand context. The spatial estimation strategy adopted yields parameter estimates significantly lower than the standard fixed effects model. This indicates that in the non-spatial models some of the variation in regional unemployment rates has been incorrectly attributed to the explanatory variables rather than to the presence of some spatial spillover effects of unemployment across regions. Thirdly, the thesis investigates the extent to which the spatial-temporal variation in local labour market outcomes and social security benefit uptake can be linked to the composition of the local labour force. This is investigated using spatial seemingly unrelated regression. The results indicate that three factors in particular matter in the determination of labour market participation and social security benefit uptake: the age structure of the population, the past performance of the regional labour market and the proportion of solo parents. Lastly a simultaneous equations growth model of real income, population, land rent and public infrastructure investment is developed that allows the impact of local authority infrastructure spending in New Zealand to be assessed for the 1996-2006 period. The results of the estimation of this system of equations, using a spatial three stage least squares (3SLS) procedure, show that an increase in local infrastructure spending increases population growth, real income and land values, but is itself endogenous and spatially correlated.

year: 2011

title: Here to stay: Reshaping the regions through mana Māori

authors: Simmonds, Naomi Beth

abstract: Situated 65 kilometres south-east of Hamilton, Putāruru (population 3747 in the 2013 Census) is typical of the many farming service towns scattered across rural Aotearoa New Zealand. Bakeries, op shops, a sports bar and a farm equipment supplier occupy the main street. Unlike nearby Tirau, which transformed from a one-stop shop into a vibrant boutique village in the late 1990s, Putāruru township remains largely indistinguishable from other rural centres. There are few clues to the substantial farming-based and water-generated wealth that lies beyond the town.

text: Here to stay: Reshaping the regions through mana Māori Situated 65 kilometres south-east of Hamilton, Putāruru (population 3747 in the 2013 Census) is typical of the many farming service towns scattered across rural Aotearoa New Zealand. Bakeries, op shops, a sports bar and a farm equipment supplier occupy the main street. Unlike nearby Tirau, which transformed from a one-stop shop into a vibrant boutique village in the late 1990s, Putāruru township remains largely indistinguishable from other rural centres. There are few clues to the substantial farming-based and water-generated wealth that lies beyond the town.

year: 2016