Waitaki River

– New Zealand

The Waitaki River is a large braided river on the South Island of Aotearoa New Zealand, which drains a complex and dynamic catchment of around 12,000 km2, culminating at 3,724 m a.s.l. at Aoraki / Mount Cook (the highest peak in New Zealand), and including three major hydropower lakes: Ōhau, Pūkaki, and Tekapo. The Waitaki River forms at the outlet of Lake Benmore, created by the confluence of the Ōhau, Pūkaki and Tekapo Rivers. Then it flows through lakes Aviemore and Waitaki, before joining the South Pacific Ocean, for a total journey of over 200 km, depending on the origin considered. On its lower reach at Kurow, its average flow is around 350 m3/s, making it by far the smallest – but no less rich – of the three rivers studied.

Challenges

In New Zealand, the Waitaki River’s glacier-fed catchment is undergoing rapid change, impacting local agriculture and tourism industries.

“10% of the world's population, the wealthiest 10%, which is most of us here in a country like New Zealand, are producing half of the greenhouse gas emissions. We have to cut that back, and to be doing it today. Not next week or next year or after the next election.”

— Pr. David Norton

Looking at solutions

Interview
– David (called Gundy) and Lisa Anderson

Merino wool producers at Bog Roy station. David is the fourth generation of his family to live there, and the couple have a special relationship with these lands. “The lands looked after me, so I feel inherently responsible to look after it” explains Gundy. Together, they raise mainly Merino sheep for their high-quality white wool, which naturally possesses an elasticity and durability that make it perfect for garment making.

“I can't influence what anyone else is going to do but I can choose to change what we do here on our farm and starting with how we eat, how we farm, how we treat our animals, and let that ripple effect take care of itself.”

— David Anderson

WATCH THE FULL INTERVIEW

MORE INTERVIEWS

Pr. David Norton
Ecology and Conservation Biology

David (Gundy) and Lisa Anderson
Merino Wool Producers

Jordi Beneyto Ferre
Director Materials and Innovation

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