Adaptive and interactive futures: A 'serious game' for coastal community engagement and decision-making

Climate change is already affecting communities and livelihoods in New Zealand through increased temperatures, prolonged droughts, and more frequent extremes. However, a gap remains between public understanding and scientific... [ view full abstract ]

Climate change is already affecting communities and livelihoods in New Zealand through increased temperatures, prolonged droughts, and more frequent extremes. However, a gap remains between public understanding and scientific knowledge about climate change, and adaptation action. This project develops a novel method for community engagement, and builds capacity for exploring complex questions through the design, testing and release of a ‘serious game’. Serious games (SGs) are games or simulations that are used for purposes beyond entertainment. They are increasingly recognized for their potential to facilitate the exploration of value-laden and contested decisions, and support learning in diverse communities of stakeholders. This research will develop a SG that will encourage players to learn about climate change impacts, implications and adaptation options for coastal regions. It will facilitate experimentation with robust management strategies applicable to a range of climate change scenarios. The SG will initially be tested, refined and evaluated with different users such as indigenous and community groups, university students, and decision makers to determine its effectiveness in supporting learning outcomes. Once initial development is complete, access to the game will be open to anyone with an internet connection, and players will consider, experience and reflect on decision-making under uncertain and changing conditions. Using compelling narratives based on real situations, this SG will help advance coastal adaptation debates in New Zealand and strengthen connections between knowledge communities such as indigenous and local knowledge holders and researchers. It will also leverage previous investment in climate science by incorporating data into a novel tool for engaging with vulnerable communities. Uptake of the game by local authorities, educators and individuals will foster more informed communities, better equipped to manage coastal hazards as the climate changes.