Christchurch, Canterbury region, Aotearoa, New Zealand

Abstract

Projections of sea level rise (SLR) at a regional level in Aotearoa/New Zealand have only recently begun to be quantified, requiring cautious interpretations when developing planning and design interventions. In the case of Ōtautahi/Christchurch, the risk of flooding increased drastically with a series of earthquakes that took place in 2010 and 2011, affecting urban and natural areas. While the city’s typical strategies have been to retreat urban areas to higher ground, raise floor levels, and construct stop banks, this chapter examines SLR from the perspective of using dynamic landforms to protect tidal habitat areas for four different migratory birds that fly along the East Asian–Australasian Flyway