The Earthquake Commission (EQC) of Toka Tū Ake has given over $1.2 million to 14 research teams. This is part of this year’s Biennial Grants round. The goal of these projects is to better understand the risks of natural hazards and find ways to lessen their impact.
Toka Tū Ake EQC hopes to make sure that resilience to natural hazards is considered in all decision-making for homes, towns, and cities in New Zealand. By investing in research, they aim to reduce our vulnerability to events caused by natural hazards.
The Biennial Grants have been given out every two years since 1989. The grants that are awarded align with Toka Tū Ake’s research priorities. These include research that helps people, measures hazards and their impacts, considers smart land use, governance and economics, and resilient buildings. This year, nearly 80 groups showed interest in the grants.
Dr Natalie Balfour, the Head of Research, says that each of the 14 research projects will help us understand New Zealand’s risk of natural hazards and lessen the impact on people and property when these events happen.
She explains that the successful projects cover a range of natural hazards, from volcanoes to landslides. Many of the projects also consider the effects of climate change on these hazards. Some projects are led by Māori researchers or include Māori knowledge.
Dr Balfour believes that investing in science and research is crucial. She says that it’s important to turn this research into useful information for others to use. This can help policy makers, local councils, designers, engineers, builders and the public make better decisions.
Toka Tū Ake has also continued to set aside special funds to provide more opportunities for Māori relevant research and early-career researchers.
In addition to funding the Biennial Grants, Toka Tū Ake also invests in research at universities across New Zealand, supports regional and community organisations in research on natural hazards and risk reduction, and contributes to systems and programmes like the GeoNet New Zealand’s natural hazard monitoring system.
