Enhancing Māori resilience to address natural hazards through insurance
How can insurance better support Māori whānau facing natural hazards? Manaaki whenua, Manaaki tangata. Haere whakamua, explores this question through the experiences of 21 participants across the North Island.
The report reveals how rising costs, complex policies and difficulties insuring homes on collectively owned Māori land can undermine recovery and resilience. It also highlights the strength of Māori knowledge, leadership, and community networks, showing why protecting homes cannot be separated from caring for whenua and people.
Its recommendations call for:
- insurance approaches grounded in kaitiakitanga
- Māori -led solutions
- enduring partnerships
- accessible information
- shared learning.
Together, these findings offer a fresh perspective on how insurers, agencies and Māori communities can work towards more responsive services and stronger collective preparedness and recovery.