Navigating the floodwaters: Pacific community resilience in the face of Auckland's 2023 Floods: A focus group study

Abstract

Introduction: The 2023 Auckland Floods has brought attention to the impacts of increasingly frequent extreme weather events which disproportionately affect Pacific communities in Aotearoa New Zealand. Understanding Pacific community experiences and unmet needs during the flooding event, and in the months afterwards, will inform advocacy for more effective and targeted local and national government strategic planning.

Methods: In 2024, six focus group Talanoa sessions were held with twelve Pacific families across Auckland who were significantly affected by the 2023 Auckland flooding event. Reflexive thematic analysis was used to elicit themes on the impacts of the flooding and how families' and wider communities coped in the immediate and longer-term response.

Findings: Short- and long- term impacts related to the immediate displacement caused by the floods from the perspectives of Pacific families who were affected during the event. Pacific families experienced inadequate governmental assistance throughout the immediate disaster period and beyond and relied primarily on their own communities for support. Most families were forced into overcrowding living situations that resulted in physical, mental and financial stressors. Over the year following the flood, impacts persisted, including ongoing disruptions to housing, health, employment, and education. Four themes were identified: 1. Impacts during the Auckland floods, 2. Responsive Pacific communities, 3. Government support, 4. Building a hopeful future through family resilience and faith.

Conclusions: The findings from this study have highlighted some of the main impacts of and ways of coping during the 2023 flooding event on Pacific families. Crucially, while government support was lacking or delayed, collective community strengths provided critical support during the crisis and in the months afterwards. A stronger, more integrated approach to crisis preparedness is needed among Pacific communities to increase resiliency. Additionally, these efforts need to be supported by a government strategy that is more efficient timely to lessen or avoiding the short- and long- term impacts of future flooding events.