In the aftermath of another summer of weather disasters, there were headlines about a “growing gap” between recovery efforts and preparation for climate change impacts. There were calls for a rethink of how New Zealand approaches natural hazards and for decision-makers to learn from the lives and homes lost in landslides and floods. If this sounds all too familiar, it is because the country has become locked in a state of “disaster inertia” – one that has existed for longer than we might think.
