Since 1996 Manaaki Whenua has built social, cultural, and economic research capability to understand people’s decision-making in matters of the natural environment. We now have one of the largest dedicated groups in the Southern Hemisphere. The audience for results from this research is diverse – including central and local government, Māori organisations, primary industry, businesses, NGOs, and communities – because all parts of society affect natural resource management.
Our research spans rural, conservation, and urban landscapes, and the full range of ecosystem services viewed from both Western science and indigenous knowledge systems. It supports improved natural resource decision-making in Aotearoa New Zealand and in the Pacific. This work is integrated with our work in all impact areas where people need improved tools for decision-making, policy, governance, regulation, planning, and strategy development.
