Aotearoa and the world are facing significant challenges as climate change transforms ecosystems, drives extreme weather events, and puts food systems at risk.
In response, Te Whare Wānaka o Aoraki - Lincoln University has established the Kāika Institute of Climate Resilience, led by its inaugural Director, Professor Paora Tapsell, of Ngāti Whakaue and Ngāti Raukawa.
The Institute champions Indigenous-led innovation, bringing mātauranga to the forefront of climate research, in the hope that it can serve Māori, Pasifika and Indigenous communities.
Tikanga Māori will guide the Institute’s mahi, with whakapapa, manaakitanga, kaitiakitanga, and rangatiratanga at its core, alongside a strong commitment to te Tiriti o Waitangi.
The Kāika Institute of Climate Resilience is focused on community-based research and developing responses to the challenges of a changing climate. Its work draws on the intersection of STEM, nature-based methods, AI-powered tools, and mātauranga-driven approaches, supported by modern impact monitoring technologies.
Lincoln University is pursuing collaborative partnerships with Māori organisations, hapū, and iwi across Aotearoa, as well as global Indigenous partners, academic institutions, government agencies, and industry, with the goal of co-creating practical solutions for a resilient future.
As New Zealand’s only specialist university focused on land-based sectors, Lincoln University is uniquely positioned to advance Food and Fibre, which includes agriculture, aquaculture, forestry, and natural fibres such as wool, harakeke, and hemp. The Kāika Institute of Climate Resilience will focus its work in this area on:
- Food security, regenerative agriculture, and whakapapa-based food systems
- Infrastructure and housing, enhancing energy resilience through adaptive building and design for marae and local communities.
- Bioeconomy and biodiversity, through wetland and forest restoration, alongside AI and biocultural approaches to pest management
In his role as Director, Professor Tapsell provides academic leadership and mentoring, strengthening relationships across the University to better serve communities.
“Professor Tapsell’s leadership has been instrumental in shaping the Institute’s vision and research direction, uniting leading researchers from Lincoln University and beyond,” said Lincoln University Provost, Professor Chad Hewitt.
“Under his guidance, the Institute will tackle challenges facing our kāika, developing solutions that integrate mātauraka, Western physical and social sciences, AI and other technologies.”
