Environmental Reporting Data

16 April 2020: Subsequent to publication in April 2019 we discovered two small errors with this dataset. These included:

• Errors in the coordinates of some sites and their associated metadata (such as landcover and elevation).
• Errors in our calculation of dominant landcover.

In addition, flow data from TopNet has also been updated.

These changes have a minor impact on overall results. These changes have have been corrected, and are republished here, as part of the Our freshwater 2020 release.

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This dataset measures how water quality in New Zealand’s rivers is changing over time. It contains nine parameters of water quality based on measurements made at monitored river sites in years 1990-2017:

• Nitrate-nitrogen
• Ammoniacal nitrogen
• Total nitrogen
• Total phosphorus
• Dissolved reactive phosphorus
• Water clarity
• Turbidity
• Escherichia coli
• Macroinvertebrate community index

More information on this dataset and how it relates to our environmental reporting indicators and topics can be found in the attached data quality pdf.

Summary report available at www.mfe.govt.nz/publications/fresh-water/water-qua....

River water quality water is valued for many reasons including ecological function and habitat, recreational value, its role in supporting people and industry, and its cultural significance. Nutrients such as nitrogen and phosphorus are essential for plant growth, however too much in rivers can lead to ‘nuisance’ growths of river algae and aquatic plants, degrading habitat. High concentrations in the form of ammoniacal nitrogen and nitrate-nitrogen can be toxic to fish and other aquatic animals. Water clarity is a measure of underwater visibility, and affects habitat of aquatic life such as fish and birds, and can also impact on aesthetic values and recreational use of rivers and streams. Escherichia coli (E.coli) can indicate the presence of pathogens (disease-causing organisms) from animal or human faeces, which can cause illness.

File contains raw data collected at regional council and NIWA monitored sites over the period 1975-2013. Fields are described as follows. Refer to Larned et al. 2015 for further details:
* nemarid ---- Unique NIWA ID
* lawaid ---- Unique LAWA ID
* rcid ---- Collection agency
* srcid ---- Region site is located in
* sflag ---- River (r) or Estuary (e)
* river ---- River name
* location ---- Name of site, assigned by collection agency
* nzmge ---- easting
* nzmgn ---- northing
* nzreach ---- REC1 segment identifier
* sdate ---- Sample date (yyyy-mm-dd)
* Q ---- Flow recorded when sample was taken (if available), cumecs
* npid ---- NIWA parameter ID (as used in Larned et al. 2015)
* lpid ---- LAWA parameter ID
* fdval ---- Parameter value (units are mg/m3, except CLAR (m) and ECOLI (n/100 mL))

For more information please see:
Larned, S, Snelder, T, Unwin, M, McBride, G, Verburg, P, McMillan, H (2015).Analysis of Water Quality in New Zealand lakes and Rivers: data sources, data sets, assumptions, limitations, methods and results. NIWA Client Report no. CHC2015-033. Available at data.mfe.govt.nz/x/Mo8VUY from the Ministry for the Environment dataservice.

This dataset relates to the "River water quality" measures on the Environmental Indicators, Te taiao Aotearoa website.

DATA SOURCE: National Institute for Water and Atmospheric Research (NIWA)
[Technical report available at www.mfe.govt.nz/publications/environmental-reporti...]

Adapted by Ministry for the Environment and Statistics New Zealand to provide for environmental reporting transparency

This lowest aggregation dataset, was used to develop three ‘Our Atmosphere and Climate’ indicators. See Statistics New Zealand indicator links for specific methodologies and state/trend datasets (see ‘Shiny App’ downloads).
1) Temperature (www.stats.govt.nz/ndicators/temperature)
2) First and last frost days (www.stats.govt.nz/ndicators/frost-and-warm-days)
3) Growing degree days (www.stats.govt.nz/ndicators/growing-degree-days)

IMPORTANT INFORMATION
Due to the size of this dataset (111 MB), a 32-bit version of Microsoft Excel will only display/download ~ 1 million rows. A DBMS, statistical or GIS application is needed to view the entire dataset.

This dataset shows two measures of temperature change in New Zealand: New Zealand’s national temperature from NIWA’s ‘seven-station’ temperature series from 1909 to 2019, and temperature at 30 sites around the country from at least 1972 to 2019. For national temperature, we report daily average, minimum and maximum temperatures. We also present New Zealand national and global temperature anomalies.

More information on this dataset and how it relates to our environmental reporting indicators and topics can be found in the attached data quality pdf.

Dominant land uses in New Zealand include conservation (eg national and forestry parks), forestry (eg for timber resources/wood supply), urban (eg built up areas and open parkland), and agriculture and horticulture. Each land use places different pressures on the land and on receiving environments such as waterways. These pressures can be both positive (eg increased productivity) and negative (eg biodiversity loss and reduced functioning of ecosystems).

This measure reports on agricultural and horticultural land uses by region.

A glacier is a body of slow-moving ice, at least 1 hectare in area that has persisted for two decades or longer. New Zealand has 3,144 glaciers. Most are located along the Southern Alps on the South Island, although Mount Ruapehu on the North Island supports 18 glaciers. New Zealand’s large glaciers are noteworthy for their large debris cover. The exceptions, Franz Joseph and Fox glaciers, are rare examples of glaciers that terminate in a rainforest.
Glacier volume is strongly influenced by climate factors, such as temperature and precipitation, which scientists expect to be affected by the warming climate. Glacial ice is an important water resource. Changes to ice storage and melting can affect ecological and hydropower resources downstream, as well as important cultural values and tourism.
More information on this dataset and how it relates to our environmental reporting indicators and topics can be found in the attached data quality pdf.

This dataset relates to NIWA's 'seven-station' temperature series uses temperature measurements from seven 'climate stations'.
More information on this dataset and how it relates to our environmental reporting indicators and topics can be found in the attached data quality pdf.

Particulate matter (PM) comprises solid and liquid particles in the air. PM2.5 particles have a diameter less than 2.5 micrometres. They can be inhaled and deposited deep in the lungs where air-gas exchange occurs.

Short- and long-term exposure to PM2.5, even at low levels, is linked to respiratory and cardiovascular disease, and increased risk of premature death, especially in vulnerable people (the young, the elderly, and people with respiratory illness). Emerging evidence points to possible links with cognitive function, neuro-development, and diabetes.

In New Zealand, most PM2.5 in the air results from combustion (for example, burning wood for home heating), and to a lesser extent, from reactions in the atmosphere (secondary PM), and from naturally occurring sea salt.

More information on this dataset and how it relates to our environmental reporting indicators and topics can be found in the attached data quality pdf.

Land use that results in a change from indigenous to exotic cover can cause biodiversity loss and reduce functioning of ecosystems. Using more land for agriculture, forestry, and urbanisation is the main driver reducing indigenous land cover across New Zealand.

Column headings:
area_ha = area of land cover measured in hectares

This dataset relates to the "Land use" measure on the Environmental Indicators, Te taiao Aotearoa website.

Daily rainfall values for 30 representative sites from 1960–2016.
Rain is vital for life – it supplies the water we need to drink and to grow our food, keeps our ecosystems healthy, and supplies our electricity. New Zealand’s mountainous terrain and location in the roaring forties mean rainfall varies across the country. Changes in rainfall amount or timing can significantly affect agriculture, energy, recreation, and the environment. For example, an increase or decrease of rainfall in spring can have marked effects on crops or fish populations.
More information on this dataset and how it relates to our environmental reporting indicators and topics can be found in the attached data quality pdf.

Ozone is a gas that forms a naturally occurring layer in the upper atmosphere (stratosphere), protecting Earth from the sun’s ultraviolet (UV) light. The ozone hole is an area of reduced stratospheric ozone. It forms in spring over Antarctica because of ozone-depleting substances (ODSs) produced from human activities. The ozone hole has started to shrink due to the phase-out of ODSs, and it is possible that it will cease to form by the middle of this century.
The ozone hole does not have a large effect on the concentration of ozone over New Zealand. However, when the ozone hole breaks up in spring, it can send ‘plumes’ of ozone-depleted air over New Zealand. Reporting on the state of the ozone hole helps us understand the state of ozone concentrations globally.
More information on this dataset and how it relates to our environmental reporting indicators and topics can be found in the attached data quality pdf.