Despite what the Luxon government may claim, these landslides and the weather events that triggered them are inherently political. Natural disasters such as these do not occur out of thin air; they materialize from the government's refusal to tackle the climate crisis. If New Zealanders wish to avoid further tragedies, then they must prioritize climate action.

It's easy to dismiss any extreme weather event as a consequence of climate change, but in reality they're usually influenced by a myriad of factors that have nothing to do with it. More research is needed before we can establish any direct causal link between the two.