Newshub Nation sat down with Climate Change Minister James Shaw to discuss managed retreat in the face of rising sea levels and a rapidly increasing risk of flooding in low-lying parts of New Zealand.
"We must act now," was the call from Shaw in Parliament last week.
Will New Zealand decide to abandon land and communities that have been home to generations of families?
"The scale and intensity of Cyclone Gabrielle has really brought home that this is a taste of what's to come," Shaw told Newshub Nation.
Shaw explained the science for calculating the impact of climate change on weather events has greatly improved, saying the Auckland floods of a few weeks ago would not have been nearly as bad otherwise.
As these events become more common, it becomes clear that some areas of New Zealand may not continue to be habitable going forward.
Shaw will be meeting with Prime Minister Chris Hipkins in the coming week to brief him on the current state of the potential Climate Adaptation legislation.
Watch the full video for more.
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