Whitiaua Ropitini | Marae on the Frontline: How Climate Change Is Threatening the Heart of Māori Communities

Dale Husband Whitiaua Ropitini | Lead Project Manager for the Relocation and Rebuild of Rangatira Marae

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Rangatira Marae Rebuild: Honouring Resilience, Facing Climate Realities.

Marae across Aotearoa are increasingly finding themselves on the frontline of climate change, as rising seas, stronger storms, coastal erosion, and extreme weather events place significant physical, cultural, and financial pressures on these vital community hubs. For many iwi and hapū, climate impacts are no longer a distant threat – they are happening now, reshaping the future of their sacred spaces and traditional lands.

Many marae sit near rivers, harbours, lakes, or coastlines – reflecting ancestral relationships with waterways and traditional settlement patterns. These locations, once abundant and safe, are now among the most climate-exposed areas in the country.

Coastal erosion is eating away at land once used for access, gatherings, and burial grounds. Sea-level rise is already affecting low-lying marae, with high tides pushing into carparks, urupā, and wharenui surroundings. Flooding from stronger storms is becoming more frequent, leaving behind costly damage to buildings, kitchens, and essential infrastructure.

In some regions, marae have endured multiple “one-in-100-year” floods within the space of a few years

The destructive Cyclone Gabrielle demonstrated how marae are not only vulnerable to climate change – they also serve on the frontlines of emergency response.

Dozens of marae across the East Coast, Hawke’s Bay, and Northland opened their doors as civil defence hubs, food distribution centres, and evacuation shelters. Yet at the same time, many were themselves damaged or left without power, safe water, or access roads.

This dual role – taonga under threat, yet lifelines for the community – puts enormous strain on both facilities and the volunteers who run them.

Climate-related damage compounds longstanding issues:

• Ageing buildings
• Limited funding for maintenance
• Insurance costs increasing sharply for flood-prone areas
• Stricter building-code requirements for renovations or repairs
• High costs to elevate or relocate structures

Some marae committees have reported insurance premiums rising by more than 50 percent due to updated risk maps. Others say insurers have declined coverage entirely.

For rural marae with small populations, the financial burden can be overwhelming.

Beyond the physical damage, the erosion or loss of marae land has deeper cultural consequences:

Loss of wāhi tapu (sacred sites) threatens ancestral history. Damage to wharenui affects carvings, tukutuku, and taonga with irreplaceable whakapapa. Displacement raises existential questions about ahi kā, mana whenua, and the ability to maintain continuous connection to ancestral places. For many Māori, climate change is not just an environmental crisis – it is a threat to identity, belonging, and cultural continuity. Despite the challenges, Māori communities are demonstrating leadership in adaptation and climate resilience:

Some marae are elevating buildings or reconstructing flood-damaged infrastructure with climate-resistant materials. Others are developing climate action plans to guide long-term resilience. Hapū and iwi are working with councils to redesign flood protections, restore wetlands, and protect waterways.

Renewable energy systems – solar panels, battery storage, and micro-grids – are being installed to ensure marae can remain functioning during disasters. Mātauranga Māori is increasingly informing climate solutions: native planting, sustainable land practices, and traditional knowledge of weather cycles. A small number of marae, facing unavoidable sea-level rise, are beginning to discuss managed retreat – a painful but necessary conversation. To safeguard marae for future generations, many Māori leaders argue that:

Government must invest in climate-resilient marae infrastructure, not just emergency repairs. Funding should recognise the role marae play as first responders and community shelters. Councils must partner genuinely with mana whenua in land-use, hazard planning, and climate adaptation decisions. National and local climate strategies must consistently embed Te Tiriti o Waitangi principles. Insurance and financing barriers for rural marae require urgent solutions.

Marae are more than buildings – they are repositories of whakapapa, cultural identity, and community resilience. As climate change accelerates, they face unprecedented risks. Yet with proper support, innovation, and Treaty-aligned partnership, marae can continue to stand not only as symbols of the past, but as foundations for future generations.

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