Tsunami resilience: Aotearoa New Zealand's path to integrated risk management and engineering design

Abstract

Tsunami threats persist along coastlines worldwide, necessitating proactive measures to safeguard lives and property. Recent catastrophic events, such as the 2004 Indian Ocean tsunami and the 2011 Japan tsunami, have underscored the potential risks of a locally generated tsunami for Aotearoa New Zealand, particularly from the Hikurangi subduction margin off the North Island's east coast. To address this threat, scientific and emergency management communities in New Zealand have shifted their focus to assess and enhance tsunami risk management. This paper presents results from a workshop held with tsunami scientists, engineers, social scientists, and emergency managers. A workshop held during the QuakeCoRE Annual Meeting in August 2023 gathered experts to explore two topics. The first topic is on the development of an an integrated tsunami risk management system in Aotearoa New Zealand; through various tools developed through hazard assessment, warning guidance, and mitigation activities by communities and local and national government entities. Second topic is on engineering design for tsunami as central to tsunami risk mitigation is the protection of critical infrastructure in inundations zones and designing evacuation buildings to withstand impacts of a tsunami. This paper offers an exploratory view of Aotearoa New Zealand's evolving strategies to manage tsunami risks.