Pūrangakura, an independent Kaupapa Māori research centre, has been awarded a highly competitive 2024 MBIE Endeavour Fund award to undertake a community-led research project to regenerate local water ecosystems and foster environmental resilience.

The four-year research project, entitled ‘‘Wai Ora, Kāinga Ora: Integrated Water Solutions for Climate Resilient Communities”, was one of just 19 research programmes selected for the prestigious fund out of over 137 applications. The project builds upon the success of previous research initiatives led by Pūrangakura that strive to improve the health and wellbeing outcomes of Māori communities.

Hosted by Pūrangakura, “Wai Ora, Kāinga Ora” is a pioneering initiative that aims to revive and protect local waters through community-led, kāinga based solutions. Eight Māori communities across Aotearoa will work alongside a Kaupapa Māori research team to create innovative, practical and long-lasting mechanisms to address a range of water issues, including quality, poor and ageing infrastructure, and climate change impacts. The collaborative project will bring together Kaupapa Māori specialists across a range of disciplines.

Pūrangakura Director, Prof Jenny-Lee Morgan (Waikato, Te Ahiwaru, Ngāti Mahuta), says “By incorporating place-based Kōrero Tuku Iho alongside Western scientific methods, the project offers a novel and holistic approach to the care and management of wai. We are thrilled to have been selected for the fund and to have the opportunity to demonstrate what can be learned through collaboration connections across communities and knowledge systems.”

The project aims to bring about enduring, impactful change by growing the environmental expertise and resilience of communities. Dr Emily Afoa (Ngāti Maniapoto, Ngāpuhi), co research leader of the project, says “At the core of this project’s kaupapa is a wholehearted commitment to supporting local kaitiakitanga through the development of transferable, future-proofed solutions and skills. This significant award will support communities to create, develop and share tools to protect the wellbeing of wai and kāinga for future generations.”

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