The Unequal Storm: How Natural Disasters Impact Māori Communities

• 67% of respondents said natural hazards impact their insurance premiums “a great deal” or “a fair amount.” This view was stronger among older New Zealanders, professionals, homeowners without mortgages, and those who had recently made a claim.
• Around one in four felt they did not have sufficient access to clear information about natural hazards when owning or buying a property. Wellington respondents were less likely than average to believe they had sufficient access.
• The top factors seen to impact the accessibility of property insurance were the occurrence of a major natural disaster in New Zealand and the growing risks of severe weather events.
• The most popular actions New Zealanders want to see taken to reduce the risk of insurance becoming unavailable include restricting building in high-risk areas and investing in stronger flood defences and infrastructure to protect against sea level rise.

Natural disasters have always been part of life in Aotearoa, but their impacts are not felt evenly. Māori communities-many of whom are located in coastal, rural, and geographically vulnerable areas-face disproportionate risks before, during, and after extreme weather events. From Cyclone Bola to Cyclone Gabrielle, the pattern has been consistent: disasters expose long-standing inequities in infrastructure, housing, governance, and access to resources.

Colonisation pushed many Māori communities onto:

• flood-prone land,

• erosion-prone coastal stretches,

• rural areas with limited infrastructure investment.

As a result, marae and papakāinga often sit in places most exposed to rising seas, flooding, and slips. When storms hit, Māori land-much of it multiply-owned and difficult to insure or develop-faces higher risk and slower recovery.

Impact: Entire communities can be cut off from essential services, and marae may suffer damage that affects both cultural continuity and emergency response capacity.

Māori are more likely to live in:

• overcrowded homes,

• older housing stock,

• rentals with poorer conditions.

When floods, storms, and earthquakes hit, these homes sustain more damage, making evacuation more urgent and recovery more expensive.

Additionally, Māori are less likely to have:

• comprehensive insurance,

• savings to cover repairs,

• access to affordable, alternative accommodation.

This leaves whānau displaced for longer and facing greater financial hardship

Disasters disrupt:

• forestry,

• farming,

• fisheries,

• tourism,

• small Māori-owned businesses.

Many Māori workers are in roles that can’t be done remotely and are highly sensitive to infrastructure failure. Road closures, crop loss, and damaged equipment create long-term economic instability.

Māori businesses, which already face barriers to capital, can struggle to rebuild without targeted support.

When disasters strike, marae frequently serve as:

• civil defence centres,

• shelters for displaced families,

• food distribution hubs.

While this demonstrates Māori resilience and manaakitanga, it also places huge strain on marae resources, volunteers, and finances. Many marae shoulder emergency responsibilities without dedicated state funding or disaster preparedness support.

The aftermath of disasters worsens existing health inequities. After extreme events, Māori experience higher rates of:

• respiratory illness (due to damp homes),

• mental distress and trauma,

• disrupted access to medication and healthcare,

• stress associated with displacement and uncertainty.

For many whānau, disasters compound histories of trauma linked to land loss, disconnection, and systemic inequities

Māori leaders have long highlighted that emergency responses often:

• lack coordination with iwi and hapū,

• fail to utilise Māori networks and local knowledge,

• overlook Māori priorities in resource allocation,

• underfund Māori-led recovery initiatives.

Disaster planning has historically been centred on government agencies rather than building leadership and decision-making authority with mana whenua.

However, recent disasters have shown how iwi-led responses can be more agile, culturally appropriate, and effective-if properly supported.

Sea-level rise, intensifying storms, and coastal erosion mean Māori communities face increasing existential threats. Some coastal papakāinga are already discussing managed retreat. For iwi and hapū, this raises profound questions:

• What happens when ancestral land becomes uninhabitable?

• How do communities protect wāhi tapu, urupā, and marae?

• Who pays for adaptation-and who decides?

Climate change is not just an environmental issue; it is a matter of cultural survival, self-determination, and justice.