Kaeden Watts

Kaeden Watts is an Indigenous rights advocate and policy expert affiliated with the Institute of Commonwealth Studies. A member of the Māori tribes Ngāti Tūwharetoa, Ngāti Maniapoto, and Tūhoe, he focuses on advancing Indigenous and Pacific peoples' rights in climate change responses across domestic and international contexts.

Research Interests:

• Integrating Indigenous knowledge into climate change mitigation and adaptation strategies
• Environmental justice and equity in public health interventions
• Climate-induced health impacts on Indigenous communities
• Decolonising frameworks for climate and health policy

Kaeden currently serves as the climate change implementation lead at the New Zealand Ministry of Health, where he adapts health systems and develops public health interventions to address climate change impacts.