In I-CHANGE, we are studying different hazards such as air pollution, flooding, and heatwaves but also how we (as citizens) can change our behavior to reduce our carbon and environmental footprint and how we can adapt to changing climate. In our research, we are working closely with citizens and other stakeholders of each of the Living Labs.
In return, we are developing analogue and online tools to increase awareness and share the knowledge gathered within the Living Labs. Scientific results can be difficult to understand if written in a very technical language. To make our science more accessible and understandable by everyone, we are designing tools that help communicating our results.
As part of the project, we are developing a platform that explains various hazards that we are facing globally by further linking the hazard knowledge to potential impacts and recommendations for citizens to mitigate or adapt to these hazards. To increase the understanding of hazards and related weather, we are not only introducing the hazards, but also how sensors can be used to identify approaching hazards to act in time.
Supportive science communication tools can also be (old-school) analogue. At the moment, we are developing a board game that thematizes individual actions to minimize or adapt to hazards. The game is set in the context of the consequences of our carbon footprints and how this will affect the frequency of hazards. The game will be available for download on the platform (once they are finalized).
On the other hand, we are designing easy-to-understand tools to engage more people in research. With our crowdsourcing app, we can engage citizens in data collection: currently, we are designing a campaign with the Living Lab Amsterdam to collect indoor temperatures during heatwaves.
All tools that we are developing in I-CHANGE will be openly available! Stay tuned to be the first ones to test them!
By Joy Ommer, KAJO Services