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Determining Volcanic Risk in Auckland (DEVORA) Research Programme—A Transdisciplinary Approach to Address the Challenge of Distributed Volcanism in an Urban Environment

Professional Paper 1890-B
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https://doi.org/10.3133/pp1890B

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Abstract

The Determining Volcanic Risk in Auckland (DEVORA) Research Programme was launched in 2008 to address the challenges associated with monogenetic volcanism in an urban setting and to enhance volcanic risk management in Tāmaki Makaurau Auckland in Aotearoa New Zealand. It is a multi-agency, increasingly transdisciplinary (defined here as research that transcends traditional disciplinary boundaries by integrating diverse types of knowledge, perspectives, and methods from academic and non-academic participants to create novel solutions to complex problems), and collaborative research program jointly led by Waipapa Taumata Rau University of Auckland and Earth Sciences New Zealand (ESNZ; formerly GNS Science), with core funding from Natural Hazards Commission Toka Tū Ake (NHC; formerly the Earthquake Commission, EQC) and Te Kaunihera o Tāmaki Makaurau Auckland Council (AC). The primary research focus of DEVORA is to investigate the geologic history, volcanic hazards, and risk posed by the basaltic intraplate Auckland Volcanic Field. Disruption from ash fall and gas from other Aotearoa New Zealand volcanoes is also considered. DEVORA’s work to explore exposure and vulnerability in Tāmaki Makaurau Auckland is also useful for assessing risks from other non-volcanic natural hazards, such as seismic and tsunami hazards. The greater Tāmaki Makaurau Auckland region has an ethnically and socio-economically diverse population of approximately 1.7 million, representing about one-third of the Aotearoa New Zealand population, and hosts critical infrastructure of national significance. The size and nature of the populace, consequential economic base, and important infrastructure within Tāmaki Makaurau Auckland mean that the effects of a volcanic eruption would be felt nationally, including through the disruption of air travel to Aotearoa New Zealand. The hazards from such an eruption could potentially affect hundreds of thousands of people, businesses, and lifelines (critical infrastructure). A considerable challenge for emergency and risk managers is the monogenetic nature of the volcanic field. It is not known where or when the next eruption will occur, how much warning we may get before an eruption, nor how an eruption and its effects might unfold. In this contribution, we highlight the concept and collaborative intent of the DEVORA Programme and show how it has evolved over the 16 years since its inception. We describe how DEVORA has unified more than 100 researchers (including more than 50 graduate students) and numerous stakeholders to address key issues facing Tāmaki Makaurau Auckland and describe how research findings are being implemented into policy and communicated to stakeholder agencies and the public. We also illustrate the broader influence of the DEVORA Programme and provide some learnings that might benefit others embarking on similar integrated projects, especially those focused on distributed volcanism in and near populated areas.

Suggested Citation

Lindsay, J.M., Smid, E.R., Balfour, N., Deligne, N.I., Doherty, A., Hall, A., Howe, T., Jolly, G., Leonard, G., Lewis, K., Miller, C., Nersezova, E., Roberts, R., Smith, R., Stolberger, T., Tapuke, K., and Wilson, T., 2026, Determining Volcanic Risk in Auckland (DEVORA) Research Programme—A transdisciplinary approach to address the challenge of distributed volcanism in an urban environment, chap. B of Poland, M.P., Ort, M.H., Stovall, W.K., Vaughan, R.G., Connor, C.B., and Rumpf, M.E., eds., Distributed volcanism—Characteristics, processes, and hazards: U.S. Geological Survey Professional Paper 1890, 22 p., https://doi.org/10.3133/pp1890B.

ISSN: 2330-7102 (online)

Study Area

Table of Contents

  • Acknowledgments
  • Abstract
  • Introduction
  • History of the DEVORA Programme
  • Structure of the DEVORA Programme
  • Outreach and Public Engagement
  • Engagement with Stakeholders
  • Engagement and Partnerships with Māori
  • Science Outcomes and New Knowledge Generated
  • Contribution to Capacity Building
  • DEVORA’s Broader Influence in the National and International Research Ecosystem
  • Lessons Learned
  • Summary
  • References Cited
Publication type Report
Publication Subtype USGS Numbered Series
Title Determining Volcanic Risk in Auckland (DEVORA) Research Programme—A transdisciplinary approach to address the challenge of distributed volcanism in an urban environment
Series title Professional Paper
Series number 1890
Chapter B
DOI 10.3133/pp1890B
Publication Date March 31, 2026
Year Published 2026
Language English
Publisher U.S. Geological Survey
Publisher location Reston, VA
Contributing office(s) Volcano Science Center
Description v, 22 p.
Country New Zealand
City Auckland
Online Only (Y/N) Y
Additional publication details