Abstract
This Briefing considers the deaths caused by Cyclone Gabrielle in the context of previous 'sudden mass fatality events' in Aotearoa New Zealand since the year 1900.
But fatalities are just one aspect of the wider harm to health and wellbeing from Gabrielle – which includes impacts on mental health and a major economic burden to the country. Given the scale of the impacts, there is a need for a broader inquiry to the impact and governmental/societal response to Cyclone Gabrielle than the current inquiry focused on forestry slash and land use.
Some of the potential policy implications for preventing such climate-change related extreme weather events includes improved institutional arrangements (for resilient infrastructure and appropriate land use), managed retreat from vulnerable areas, eliminating forestry slash, and making cities ‘spongier’.