Nau mai, haere mai - and welcome to your New Zealand newsletter.

Last week’s fatal shooting of a police officer in the line of duty will inevitably lead to a reexamination of police firearm policies. Ross Hendy, a former sergeant with New Zealand Police and now a lecturer in criminology at Monash University, examines international research on the nature of routinely armed and routinely unarmed policing, including a Norwegian study that suggested there is genuine mental strain associated with not carrying firearms.

As Auckland is experiencing its most severe multi-season drought in recent memory, the glaciers in the Southern Alps continue to retreat, with some smaller glaciers now on the path to extinction. Andrew Lorrey and Ben Noll (National Institute of Water and Atmosphere) and Lauren Vargo (Te Herenga Waka Victoria University of Wellington) write that both are examples of New Zealand’s water future with higher chances of more frequent extremes with stronger impacts.

And New Zealand can expect to see more people arriving at the border with COVID-19. University of Waikato law scholar Alexander Gillespie explains the vast legal powers of the government in times of a pandemic and argues that enforced quarantine, mandatory testing and contact tracing are logical solutions for better border protection.

As always, you’ll find a lot more in this newsletter and on the New Zealand homepage. Thank you for reading, ngā mihi nui ki a koutou katoa.

Veronika Meduna

New Zealand Editor: Science, Health + Environment

www.shutterstock.com

Trust, risk and routine arming: the killing of a frontline officer challenges New Zealand police practice

Ross Hendy, Monash University

As a former NZ Police sergeant, I know firsthand how police fatalities shape one's behaviour. The recent shooting of two officers in Auckland cuts to the heart of NZ's trust-based policing policies.

Andrew Lorrey

Why long-term environmental observations are crucial for New Zealand’s water security challenges

Andrew Lorrey, National Institute of Water and Atmospheric Research; Ben Noll, National Institute of Water and Atmospheric Research; Lauren Vargo, Te Herenga Waka — Victoria University of Wellington

Auckland's extreme drought and the rapid retreat of glaciers in the Southern Alps both highlight how important long-term observations are for water management policy and planning.

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The law is clear – border testing is enforceable. So why did New Zealand’s quarantine system break down?

Alexander Gillespie, University of Waikato

Multiple failures to properly enforce border quarantine measures should never have happened, given the strength of New Zealand's emergency laws.

OSORIOartist/Shutterstock

Climate Explained: what Earth would be like if we hadn’t pumped greenhouse gases into the atmosphere

Laura Revell, University of Canterbury

If we had not altered the composition of the atmosphere at all through emitting greenhouse gases, particulate matter and ozone-destroying chemicals, the average temperature would have remained stable.

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Learning from experience: how our universities can turn the international student crisis into an opportunity

Rahul Sen, Auckland University of Technology; Swati Nagar, Auckland University of Technology

With other international education markets still struggling with the COVID-19 pandemic, New Zealand and Australian universities should position themselves as premium destinations.

JivkoM/Shutterstock

‘Shovel-ready’ projects ignore important aspects of community resilience

Tom Logan, University of Canterbury

Research shows communities become more resilient to future crises when people have access to basic services such as supermarkets, hospitals and schools.

From our international sections

Australia has failed miserably on energy efficiency – and government figures hide the truth

Hugh Saddler, Australian National University

Better energy efficiency lowers electricity bills, manages energy demand and helps the climate. Unfortunately, Australia is going nowhere on this cheap, simple measure.

Dyson Heydon finding may spark a #MeToo moment for the legal profession

Kcasey McLoughlin, University of Newcastle

Sexual harassment is endemic within the law. This inquiry's finding must be the catalyst for genuine and long overdue change in the profession.

What the Supreme Court’s DACA ruling means for undocumented students and the colleges and universities they attend

Sayil Camacho, Vanderbilt University

At least for now, hundreds of thousands of students can stay in school without facing new hardships.

George Floyd protests aren’t just anti-racist – they are anti-authoritarian

Lilian Bobea, Fitchburg State University

Unrest in the US looks familiar to Latin Americans, who are accustomed to resisting undemocratic governments – and to their protest movements being met with violent suppression.

How racism complicates Black parenting

Cynthia Okpokiri, Anglia Ruskin University

Black parents cannot afford for their children to break or even bend certain rules.

Lancet-gate in the COVID-19 pandemic era: is it alright for science to be wrong?

Teguh Haryo Sasongko, Perdana University

The Lancet launched an independent investigation but ran into resistance from the institution, which refused to disclose the raw data, forcing the journal to retract the article.

Director of science at Kew: it’s time to decolonise botanical collections

Alexandre Antonelli, Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew

Scientists still report species as being 'discovered', even if they've been used by local populations for years.

Your emotions are the new hot commodity — and there’s an app for that

Anna Rudkovska, Western University; Danica Facca, Western University

Mood tracking apps are sophisticated tools that track, measure and improve our emotions. But doing so may make our emotional data vulnerable to interested third parties.

Police should not have access to data from coronavirus contact tracing apps

Joven Narwal, University of British Columbia

Police departments have suggested using contact tracing approaches to track protesters, raising concerns about data and privacy.

The coping mechanisms the DRC is putting in place as it faces Ebola, measles and COVID-19

Yap Boum, Mbarara University of Science and Technology

African governments should shift their attention to strengthening health systems so that they are better placed to respond to any pandemic.