AdaptNow 2024 partner meeting

AdaptNow 2024

In April 2024, the third partner meeting of the ADAPTNOW (ADAPTation Capacity Strengthening for Highly Affected and Exposed Territories in the Alps NOW) project took place in Bregenz, where representatives from five Alpine nations came together to discuss climate adaptation measures for highly affected and exposed regions in the Alps. The project meeting focused on the workshop “Community Engagement and Communication”.

^{Fig.1: Natural hazard model (left) and the infiltration tests (right)}

Under the leadership of Dr.-Ing. Ivo Baselt, the project group dealt with the current challenges in raising awareness, motivating and activating the population for the implementation of climate adaptation measures. Building on this, experience was gathered on personal, administrative and technical obstacles before solution strategies were developed within the project group.

Staff from the Department of Hydromechanics and Hydraulic Engineering then presented various interactive communication media and approaches to risk sensitization and prevention. For example, interactive models from the hydraulic engineering laboratory such as the natural hazard model (Fig.1 + 2) and the flash flood model (Fig.3) as well as infiltration experiments to illustrate the water permeability of different soils (Fig.1) were used to raise awareness of the dangers and damage caused by floods or debris flows and to demonstrate possible protective measures. In addition, server-based applications were presented as new ways of interactive online communication, such as the AI tool Midjourney for generating images using artificial intelligence or the 3D web game MurGame, which teaches risk management in the form of a serious game.

^{Fig. 2: Natural hazard model                                                                                                       Fig.3: Flash flood model}

The French colleagues from Auvergne Rhone-Alpes are moderating the ClimaSTORY tool they developed. ClimaSTORY is an educational tool for collective reflection on the impact of climate change. Designed for all types of territorial actors, ClimaSTORY allows to look at a fictitious region from the perspective of climate change and adaptation solutions for 5 themes of economic activities: Agriculture and Forestry; Industry; Tourism, Trade and Crafts; Security and Health; Planning, Resource Management and Biodiversity.

^{Pictures: Own pictures}