Geography of New Zealand - Natural Hazards

Natural Hazards

• Earthquakes are common, though usually not severe, averaging 3,000 per year mostly less than 3 on the Richter scale.
• Volcanic activity is most common on the central North Island Volcanic Plateau.
• Tsunamis
• Fire bans exist in some areas in summer.
• Droughts are not regular and occur mainly in Otago and the Canterbury Plains and less frequently over much of the North Island between January and April.
• Flooding is the most regular natural hazard. Few regions have escaped winter floods. Settlements are usually close to hill-country areas which experience much higher rainfall than the lowlands due to the orographic effect. Mountain streams which feed the major rivers rise rapidly and frequently break their banks covering farms with water and silt. Close monitoring, excellent weather forecasting, stopbanks, multiple hydropower dams, river dredging and reafforestation programmes in hill country have ameliorated the worst effects.