Six of seven global soil threats apply to New Zealand
A UN soil report finds six of seven global threats apply to New Zealand land.
|November 10, 2026Listen to the full interview:
Six of the seven global soil threats in a new UN report apply to New Zealand.
Ministry of Cities, Environment, Regions and Transport principal science advisor Dr Fiona Curran-Cournane says erosion tops the list, driven by erodible geology, high rainfall and tectonic uplift.
“We are still seeing the same issues, 20, 30 years later,” she says.
Monitoring since the mid-1990s shows compaction on dairy, drystock and horticultural sites and elevated phosphorus on dairy and horticultural land.
Good management practices cut phosphorus in waterways, though they offset only part of the nitrogen losses from expanded dairying.
“The best thing we can do is really try to stabilise those soils.”
Fiona says woody vegetation on vulnerable hill country reduces erosion risk.
Watch the full interview:
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