Projections unveiled in a major government-funded report show infrastructure and homes across the country - particularly in Auckland and Wellington - risk inundation decades earlier than expected.
For example, in just 18 years, parts of the capital will see 30cm of sea level rise, causing once-in-a-century flood damage every year.
Eugene Doyle, who lives on Wellington's exposed south coast and has been outspoken on the threat posed by the ocean, spoke to Corin Dann.