Te Mana o te Wai – a foundation for our future

Whenever we are interacting with land, with lakes, rivers, streams, wetlands, springs, groundwater, estuaries or connected coastal waters, we must act in ways that support the health and well-being of waterbodies. Over time waterbodies in our region have experienced significant degradation, particularly in lowland areas, aquifers and estuaries. This has impacted on the availability of fish, inaka/whitebait, puha and a variety of species that we enjoy eating and sharing with others. Our ability to safely drink water has been compromised. It is not always safe to swim where we would like to be able to get in the water. Water-based connections and practices are affected and at risk of being lost. Some of our highly valued native freshwater species are threatened with extinction. By embracing the concept of Te Mana o te Wai, we can begin to turn around this history of degradation, to restore what we value. This is a primary focus for Environment Southland, working with tangata whenua, communities and stakeholders to identify methods to achieve widespread improvement in our waterbodies within a generation. Putting the needs of waterbodies first in all that we do is the key.