Introduction
Communicating climate and disaster risk to the public is one of the most persistent challenges in DRM and CCA. Getting the right information to the right people, in ways that are trusted, understood and acted upon, requires more than technical accuracy. It demands creativity, cultural sensitivity, and a willingness to meet communities where they are. A policy brief drawing on evidence from across Europe highlights improving engagement and strengthening communication between citizens and authorities as a critical priority for building community resilience to disasters.
This module was co-designed with Real World Lab practitioners from the Zala Region, Hungary and the Emilia-Romagna Region, Italy, drawing on their direct experience of communicating risk to diverse communities including tourists, seasonal populations, volunteers and young people. It spans co-developing wildfire risk communication tools, immersive virtual reality experiences that simulate flood events, and youth engagement through arts and culture, offering practical tools and real-world examples to support more effective and inclusive public risk communication.
It is primarily aimed at mayors and elected members, public authorities and community engagement practitioners responsible for communicating risk to the public. The tools, methods and insights are however relevant to a wider range of practitioners seeking innovative and inclusive approaches to public risk communication across DRM and CCA contexts.
By the end of this module, you will be able to:
- Explain the key challenges in communicating climate and disaster risk to diverse public audiences, including tourists, volunteers and young people
- Identify innovative approaches to public risk communication, including targeted information campaigns, immersive technology and creative and cultural engagement
- Apply the Risk-Tandem process to scope communication priorities and co-explore practical interventions with stakeholders
- Draw on real-world examples to design or adapt risk communication strategies for your own context
- Access and adapt practical tools and resources developed through the DIRECTED project for use in your own organisation or community
Part 1: Communicating wildfire risk and preparedness
Wildfires are a growing threat along the coastal forests of the Ferrara province in Emilia-Romagna, Italy. The Regional Park of the Po Delta is home to rare biodiversity, welcomes thousands of tourists each summer, and faces increasingly dry and fire-prone conditions with climate change.
To tackle this challenge, the Emilia-Romagna Real World Lab brought together civil protection agencies, park authorities, firefighters, forestry services, volunteers and researchers. Applying the Risk-Tandem process, wildfire risk communication emerged as a key priority. Findings highlighted that public awareness of wildfire risk and guidance remains very limited, and that tourists face a particular information gap – unfamiliar with local risks, unconnected to alert systems and unsure of what to do. This led to the co-development of practical communication tools.
Watch the introduction video to get started, then explore the resources below to help you implement and adapt such a process:
- Wildfire Information Panels ( Italian and English )
- Social Media Communications Kit ( Italian )
- Tandem Capacity Development Module Co-explore ( Guidelines and Templates )
Part 2: Immersive experiences through virtual reality
Awareness alone does not always lead to preparedness. Evidence from major flood events shows that citizens may underestimate risks, struggle to interpret warnings, or fail to appreciate how quickly situations can develop. Traditional preparedness materials remain important but do not always provide the practical or emotional understanding needed to influence behaviour.
Virtual Reality (VR) offers a different approach, enabling citizens to experience realistic disaster scenarios in a safe environment, practice decision-making under pressure, and build confidence and understanding through experience. Within the DIRECTED project, the FloodSafety VR experience was co-developed with civil protection practitioners in Emilia-Romagna, guiding users through what to do before, during and after a flood event. Tested across multiple events, participants described it as engaging, educational, emotionally impactful and inclusive.
Watch the introduction video to get started (UPCOMING), then explore the resources below:
- FloodSafety VR eLearning Resource (UPCOMING ITALIAN & ENGLISH)
- Citizen FloodSafety App (NEW VERSION UPCOMING)
- Be-Prepared Virtual Reality game
For further context on the flood events underpinning this work see Irvine et al. (2025) A Comparative Case Study of Two Extreme Floods .
Part 3: Youth engagement through arts and culture
Young people are not just the future of climate resilience, they are active contributors to it now. Yet traditional approaches to climate communication often fail to reach or inspire youth audiences. Arts, culture and creativity offer a different entry point, making abstract climate data tangible and inviting young people to express their own visions for the future.
In April 2026, the DIRECTED Real World Lab in Hungary partnered with the Helikon Festival in Keszthely to integrate a Climate Programme into one of Hungary’s most celebrated youth arts events. Drawing on local experiences of drought, water quality challenges and ecosystem pressures on Lake Balaton, the programme engaged over 200 young people, families and tourists through an Art X Science Climate Village and a Youth Art Competition and Exhibition. The experience demonstrated the importance of embedding climate engagement into existing cultural events and empowering young people to use their creativity for climate action.
Watch the introduction video to get started (UPCOMING), then explore our eLearning resource to go deeper into the approach and resources (UPCOMING).
You can also explore the “Our Resilient Future” Youth Art Competition entries.