I-Apples: Interface Applications and Serious Games

Challenge Platform: Adaptation services

Project Start Date: 01/2013

Lead partner: Deltares, NL

Project type: Pathfinder - Explores relevant climate arenas to identify and prioritise innovation opportunities

Project lead: Cees van de Guchte (Deltares) <Cees.vandeGuchte@deltares.nl>, Henk Wolters (Deltares) <Henk.Wolters@deltares.nl>

Partners

The I-Apples project involves 6 partners:

• Deltares (Institute for Applied Research), The Nethelands (Climate-KIC Core Partner)
• Arcadis (International Management and Engineering Consultancy), The Netherlandes (Climate-KIC Core Partner)
• Potsdam Institute for Climate Impact Research (PIK), Germany (Climate-KIC Core Partner)
• Imperial College London, UK (Climate-KIC Core Partner)
• Tygron
• Hydrologic

Concept

Existing models and databases containing information on climate mitigation and adaptation are complex and limited in their application. The I-Apples project uses serious gaming to stress the urgency and potential for change, particularly in water management, across the whole of society. Serious gaming is a computer game and incorporates serious issues into an interactive and user-friendly information outlet. In addition, interface applications are helpful to bring the right message to a wide audience, linking targeted information “from satellite to citizens”.

The Climate Change Issue

Only 0.7% of the global water supply is available for consumption. From that 0.7%, 70% is allocated to agricultural processes, for example, food production and bio-based economy. Further allocation of fresh water goes to energy production. The remainder is used for drinking water. With the global population set to rise and the impact of climate change taking effect, the world’s fresh water supply is forecasted to shrink even more. In addition, sea level rise and changes in precipitation patterns may give rise to floods and droughts, in coastal areas salin may increase. Measures must be taken to engage and educate all stakeholders in the planning, development, distribution and management of the optimum use of fresh water resources under the uncertainty of climate change, and in anticipating for more frequent hydro-climatic extreme events like floods, droughts and heavy storms.

The Project Solution

The I-Apples project is researching the potential to utilise a “serious game” based platform to efficiently communicate climate related information to relevant stakeholders. Although the technology can be applied to a whole range of climate change issues, this particular games and interface applications, under this project, primarily demonstrates how water management may be further improved under the uncertainty of climate change, which may not only affect food production, the bio-based economy and energy production, but may also directly imply on the well- being of people in areas vulnerable for floods and droughts.

A serious game is a computer game that aims to do more than just entertain. Its purpose is to educate and train. It places users in real situations, which allow them to create a solution to a potential problem. One particular game allows players to take the role of stakeholders and make decisions concerning climate change policy. It also gives them the possibility to see the impact of their decisions on a personal scale, right up to a regional or national scale. By engaging users and letting them interact, they can make informed decisions based on their own independent research.

The technology enables developers to make use of existing climate models as well as databases and to demonstrate the information in a user-friendly way. The consequences of a user’s actions are visualised, which encourages the participation of any individual member of the public, be it a school student or a members of local or regional authorities.

The Role of Climate-KIC

Climate-KIC has helped to get the I-Apples project off the ground. It has funded the project and provided an invaluable network of partners. It has helped to establish the project as a business, allowing each partner to focus on the research and development of the product.