The Challenge
In the UK, some 2 million households and 140,000 commercial properties, equating to almost 5 million people, are at risk of severe flooding.
An interactive and stimulating solution was required to create awareness of the increasing risk of flooding through highlighting preventative measures and policies to drive home important lessons from the flooding events in 2007 to form future thinking and priorities.
What we did
FloodSim is an accessible online policy simulation that helps raise public awareness of issues around flood policy and provides feedback to insurers and policy makers about public attitudes towards different flood protection options.
FloodSim puts the player in control of flood policy in the UK for three years. Players decide how much money to spend on flood defences, where to build houses and how to keep the public informed. But as in real life, money is limited. The player must weigh up flood risks in different regions against the potential impact on the local economy and population. The game brings to life the complexity of the issue and the trade-offs that policy-makers are grappling with in real life.
Key Messages and Themes
- Money Management.
- Impact of flooding on the local economy and population.
- Understanding government policy and how to take action.
- Crowd-sourcing opinions of real-life citizens and stakeholders, to help aid better informed decision making.
Our Approach
Our government and policy solutions are designed to increase public awareness of issues, improve understanding of trade-offs, and provide outcomes that resonate with stakeholders, ultimately motivating citizens to take action.
The floods of 2007 show just how serious flooding can be, and I am glad to see that this project has been developed to enable people to have a greater understanding of the risk of flooding. This game gives the game player the opportunity to make informed decisions about all of these policy areas.
- Rt Hon Phil Woolas MP - Environment Minister 2008
The benefits
- Increased public awareness of the issues and dangers surrounding flooding.
- Presses the seriousness of the issue and its potential implications to players.
- Motivates citizens to take action, leading to questions in parliament and increased pressure on politicians by petitioning No.10 or contacting their MP through the application.
Outcomes
- 140,000+ users
- 200+ Articles