Collaboration key to Deep South National Science Challenge success
The Government’s Deep South National Science Challenge provides an unprecedented opportunity for scientific
collaboration that will ultimately improve the lives of all New Zealanders, according to Rob Murdoch, the challenge’s
interim director.
Science and Innovation Minister Steven Joyce today officially launched the Deep South Challenge at NIWA’s Wellington
campus. It is one of 10 Government challenges aimed at responding to the most important scientific issues facing New
Zealanders.
Dr Murdoch, NIWA’s general manager research, said the challenge would bring together the best scientists from across New
Zealand to work together on transforming the way New Zealanders adapt, manage risk, and thrive in a changing climate.
Deep South involves several partners including GNS Science, Landcare Research, University of Otago, Victoria University,
Antarctica NZ, the NZ Antarctic Research Institute and NIWA.
“The challenge will bring together New Zealand’s leading science expertise who will work together on a common goal,” Dr
Murdoch said.
“It is an exciting opportunity to address one of the most pressing issues facing New Zealanders: how do we adapt to our
climate as it changes over the coming decades and centuries.
“Given the importance of the climate system and its significance to New Zealand’s economy and infrastructure, this is
hugely important to the wellbeing of New Zealanders.”
Dr Murdoch also said one of the key elements of the challenge was the requirement to engage with all levels of society.
“What makes this unique is that we will be working with industry, Maori, government and communities to guide planning
and policy to enhance resilience to the effects of a changing climate on key economic sectors, infrastructure and
natural resources.”
Funding of $24 million over the next four years will enable the challenge to focus on issues such as drought, freshwater
availability, flooding due to coastal inundation, damaging storm events and changes to mean climate and variability.
Dr Murdoch said the challenge has a very focused programme that builds on New Zealand’s areas of expertise and makes
best use of our strengths, such as the NIWA supercomputer, our knowledge of Antarctica and the Southern Ocean and the
understanding of climate systems.
New Zealand’s proximity to the Antarctic and Southern Ocean was also crucial as it provides access to develop new work
to investigate how New Zealand’s climate will respond to changes in Antarctica and the Southern Ocean.
“This is an ambitious undertaking that has the potential to transform New Zealand society. We shouldn’t underestimate
the work involved but we believe that by combining our collective strength and expertise and directing it into
world-class research projects we have the ability to address one of the world’s most important issues,” Dr Murdoch said.
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