May 4, 2016 GWC hosted a GAME OF FLOODS!
The purpose of the game was to learn how to help save the residents of Marin Island from rising seas and flooding.
The “Game of Floods” is a group activity board game developed by the County of Marin
Game of Floods Map
This is an education game about on sea level rise adaptation.
Game began at 7 pm at the Community Room at the Northgate Mall!
Traditional flood protection measures such as levees and seawalls are included.
Green infrastructure approaches are also included:
- horizontal levees
- wetland restorations
- beach nourishment
- policy/zoning changes.
The idea behind the game is to help disseminate a vision for ‘Marin Island 2050,’ a hypothetical landscape that highlights conditions we will experience with sea level rise and increased storm impacts.
At the May 4 Gallinas Watershed Council meeting contestants had the chance to pit themselves and their team against rising waters as we played “Game of Floods” with County Flood Mistress Bridgit VanBellenghem.
Why This Game?
This is an education game about on sea level rise adaptation. Participants are given a lesson with an adaptation strategy reference sheet[PDF],
Integral to the activity is the introduction and consideration of green infrastructure as an alternative to traditional levees and sea walls, with habitat and water quality benefits of such concepts articulated.
Seated around the game board[PDF], participants take turns championing assets they value and proposing strategies to protect these sites from sea level rise and storm impacts.
The game creates a lively interaction between participants, heightening awareness of the challenges of planning for sea level rise. The game concludes with group discussion to obtain consensus for a vision which protects critical assets, while maximizing ecosystems benefits through wetland restoration and other living shoreline approaches.
The Game of Floods has been launched at public workshops, high schools, and community group meetings. Participants enthusiastically praise the game’s effectiveness at fostering collaborative dialogue and deeper understanding of the environmental, economic and social choices that communities will face in preparing for sea level rise.
