Engaging Communities in Role-Playing Simulations to Advance Climate Planning

Seas are rising and extreme rain events are happening more often, so coastal communities are facing tough decisions about how to manage flooding risks. So two reserves developed an innovative planning tool that allows community leaders and residents to make sense of local climate projections and experiment with collaborative decision making in a safe environment.

The New England Climate Adaptation Project tested the use of role-play simulations, or “games,” to engage community members in climate adaptation planning. In a structured workshop setting, participants receive background information describing a fictional place — typically with a striking resemblance to their own city or town — and must assume a fictional role in which they work collaboratively to prioritize actions that help the community manage climate risks.

Following the framework developed in New England, the Georgetown Climate Adaptation Project produced a customized set of local climate projections and role playing materials for the coastal southeast.

In this webinar, presenters will discuss lessons learned from planning and leading simulation workshops in two different coastal regions.

Presenters

Annie Cox, Wells Reserve

Maeve Snyder, North Inlet-Winyah Bay Reserve