Playing seriously: Stop Disasters! Adapt our cities to climate change
Managing disasters vs reducing the environmental footprint
The future climate change adaptation scenarios are being developed today. With the increase in the frequency and intensity of natural hazards, it is becoming crucial to adapt our cities and infrastructure to minimise risks.
But that alone is not enough: we must also continue to reduce our environmental footprint to not worsen these phenomena. Using digital tools to increase awareness makes perfect sense in this situation. That's where the Stop Disasters game comes in: a serious game developed by the United Nations Office for Disaster Risk Reduction to help us learn how best to anticipate and manage natural hazards.
What is the Stop Disasters game?
Developed by the United Nations Office for Disaster Risk Reduction (UNDRR), Stop Disasters is an online game that challenges players to plan land use to protect populations facing natural hazards (tsunamis, earthquakes, cyclones, wildfires, floods). It offers a playful, interactive approach to risk management by having players make strategic choices based on available resources.
A hazard scenario… but under control!
In this simulation game, you play as a local decision-maker charged with developing a region threatened by climatic hazards. Your mission? Invest wisely to make the area more resilient: build infrastructure adapted to hazards, raise awareness among the population, and optimise the use of available funds to limit damage in the event of a hazard. Each decision directly affects the final level of destruction and residents' capacity to survive and rebuild.
Key concepts covered:
- Disaster prevention;
- Land use planning and urban resilience;
- Disaster risk reduction strategies;
- Managing resources and budgets;
- Education on safety and appropriate responses in a risk context.
Game rules:
- Choose a scenario (tsunami, earthquake, cyclone, wildfire, or flood);
- Develop the area with the available resources;
- Take prevention and education actions;
- Start the hazard and observe the impact of the decisions taken;
- Learn from your mistakes and adjust your strategy.
A scientific perspective on Stop Disasters: "These are waves you don't surf!", the expertise of CEA
To go a step further, the French Alternative Energies and Atomic Energy Commission (CEA) engaged an expert specifically on tsunamis and alert systems. Discover this video with Pascal Roudil, responsible for the French National Tsunami Warning Centre (CENALT), who explains how to anticipate and limit the impacts of these destructive phenomena:
The positives and the negatives
The negatives:
- Graphics and interface are a bit dated
- Some mechanics are only briefly explained
The positives:
- Interactive and accessible to everyone;
- Essential and relevant themes;
- Excellent for awareness of climate and urban challenges;
- Free and available online, no download required.
If you want to translate the game into a new language, please get in touch with UNDRR.
A game to prepare for the future
Stop Disasters is an excellent tool for understanding the challenges of natural-hazard adaptation and sustainable development. Raising awareness among both the young and the old improves preparedness for hazards and encourages reflection on land-use planning.
And you, what strategies will you adopt to make your community more resilient?
This blog post was translated from French.
Mélanie Raphaël is an expert in eco-responsible digital technology at DINUM, the French Interministerial Directorate for Digital Affairs. She leads the interministerial eco-responsible digital mission (MiNumEco) for reducing the environmental footprint of digital technology. She is convinced that the educational approach of serious games makes it possible to grasp complex and systemic issues, enabling both individuals and organisations to transform their practices.