Lessons lost: a comparative analysis of animal disaster response in New Zealand

This paper compares the animal emergency management related lessons identified after two different disasters in New Zealand: the 2017 Edgecumbe Flood event and the 2019 Nelson Fires. It uses an ethnographic content analysis (ECA) to compare two 'after action' reports and identify common themes, and lesson learning between events. It concludes that only 7% of lessons identified in the Edgecumbe Flood were applied at the Nelson Fires, nearly two years afterwards. Common issues related to training, capability, law, policy, planning, information management and incident management. The paper makes several recommendations from its analysis for improving animal emergency management arrangements, both domestically and abroad.