As the climate warms, many cities and towns are experiencing more extreme storms and flooding.
So to help people learn how to manage the excess water, a Louisiana nonprofit made a free, printable board game called Water You Gonna Do?
“We knew that giving a presentation isn’t always the best way to reach people, and so the game was a way to interact with them … and have them think about the pros and cons of taking certain actions,” says Jeannette Dubinin of the Center for Planning Excellence.
She says players can use poker chips as money and marbles to represent amounts of water.
Action cards describe stormwater management strategies, like updating drainage systems, or creating rain gardens to soak up excess water.
Players consider each strategy’s effectiveness and cost and then choose what to do. To fund some options, they may need to increase taxes or pool resources with other towns.
Dubinin’s group has led game sessions with nonprofits, community leaders, and college students.
“Which is great because it teaches them as they become decisionmakers and professionals about the various tools available,” she says.
And it helps prepare them for real-life situations they are likely to face in a warmer, wetter future.
Reporting credit: Sarah Kennedy/ChavoBart Digital Media