ClimaSTORY: a pedagogical reflection and action tool on territorial climate change adaptation

How can a board game raise awareness about climate change? Read about ClimaSTORY

ClimaSTORY: a pedagogical reflection and action tool on territorial climate change adaptation

Elected representatives of Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes’s mountainous local authorities were among the first to be confronted to the effects of climate change. High altitude environments are more sensitive to climate variations, here, average annual temperatures have risen by 2°C over the last 60 years and snow levels have sharply fallen. Consequently, some mid-mountain resorts are leaving behind their once thriving ski resorts and reconverting.  

For more than 10 years, Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes Energie-Environnement has shone a light on climate change and adaptation issues across the region. The regional agency’s actions include leading a network of experts and local authorities, writing methodological guides, training and action for local authorities, and involvement in the Regional Climate Air Energy Observatory (ORCAE) in charge of monitoring the effects of climate change.

In 2020, the agency released ClimaSTORY, a board game to encourage collective reflection ideal for raising awareness among people with little or no knowledge on climate change adaptation. Designed to be used by all types of actors in the territories, this educational support introduces  a fictional territory face to the effects of climate change and adaptation solutions around 5 economic activities: Agriculture and Forest; Industry; Tourism, Trade and Crafts; Health and Safety; Development, and Management of Resources and Biodiversity. Participants roleplay as representatives of one of these economic activities and devise a plan to overcome these challenges.

The board game starts cooperation between administrative departments, local authorities and initiated public to decentralise their vision and reconsider their actions from the angle of climate change adaptation.

ClimaSTORY was showcased at the EU Strategy for the Alpine Region EUSALP event as part of the French presidency in Chamonix-Mont-Blanc on 30 September 2020. The participants acquired knowledge of the chain impacts of climate change, possible adaptation solutions, experience in spatializing the issues, governance solutions and the intervention plan to be implemented by the community.

The agency is preparing a training programme to become ClimaSTORY facilitator and is coordinating with other partners’ climate change adaptation tools. The English version of ClimaSTORY is now available and can be used as a basis for cooperation to build on.  

Website : https://en.auvergnerhonealpes-ee.fr/projects/project/climastory