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The risk of wildfire - like that which hit Lake Ohau this month - is expected to rise dramatically over the next two decades, according to the latest report from the Ministry of the Environment and Stats NZ.
The report, Our Atmosphere and Climate, says fire danger is projected to increase by an average of 70 percent by 2040.
It also found New Zealand is one of the worst road traffic polluters per head of population.
One of the people who worked on the report, climate scientist Dr James Renwick, says the report's findings are a real concern.