Climate stories

Figure 17. Example of Climate story - Logroño

Tool description

Climate stories are a form of structured communication designed to share information, experiences and targeted messages about climate change/adaptation. Stories should ideally be compelling and entertaining and may combine text with supporting media or scientific data. The target audience can be the general public or specific group(s). The story can be used to convey all kinds of publicly important messges around climate change. Defining the audience and the core message are essential components in the process so that the story appeals to the audience and the core message can be communicated clearly.

Complexity

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Complexity explanation

The level of complexity is completely dependent on the ambitions of the story. The development of the climate stories requires an iterative approach between the technical developers and the city representatives. A good and engaging narrative takes time to develop. In addition, access to high quality media (images, maps, plots, videos) greatly improves the ability to create a compelling and impactful story. Implementing the story requires a platform as a basis– this can be as simple as a document, or as complex as a specialised story mapping software.

Benefits of using the tool

Stories have the potential to increase the impact of the climate message you want to communicatie; from making people feel what climate risks entail in real life setting to calling for action.
Possible benefits are:
  • Climate change issues become personal and tangible.
  • Learn about climate change and its impacts.
  • Learn about how climate hazards affect citizens’ lives.
  • Generate a sense of urgency about what climate resilience entails.
  • Identify and understand possible climate actions that are being taken/or can be taken.

 

City Hub experiences

Each City Hub is developing a climate story. The following topics are currently under development:
The cities of Logroño, Milano and Athens focus on heat impacts in their stories. They target citizens and municipal departments to provide insight in the impacts of heat for specfic vulnerable groups (children, outdoor workers, elderly). The Athens story for example describes a day in the life of grandmother Sophia and her grandchildren during a heatwave. The stories for these cities also describe what is being done by the cities and what action citizens and other stakeholders can take to become more heat resilient. Results from the Thermal Assessment Tool (Tecnalia) and Social Vulnerability to Environmental Hazards Index tool (UCC) are woven into the story.
The cities of Lillestrøm, Cork and Gdynia focus on flooding impacts in their stories. They target citizens, municipal departments and other relevant stakeholders engaged in city planning. The stories show the impacts of flooding on peoples’ daily lifes and explain the actions that can be taken by different types of stakeholders.
The stories are also used to explain what the city is doing about flooding and why. Results from the Community flood resilience support tool (Deltares) and the Social Vulnerability to Environmental Hazards Index tool (UCC) will be integrated in the stories where relevant.

Triple-A phases

It can be relevant for any of the phases of the Triple-A toolkit:
  • Analysis phase: Provide insight in the climate change trends, hazards, impacts, risks and damages among, for example to create awareness or increase support for developing adaptation policy.
  • Ambition phase: Show what a climate resilient city could look like or communicate about adaptation goals and targets.
  • Action phase: Show what actions can be taken by whom.

Guidance

Not available yet

Contact

Climate Adaptation Services (CAS)

Felix van Veldhoven, felix@climateadaptationservices.com

NGI

James Strout, james.michael.strout@ngi.no

More information at

Link to the City hubs climate stories tool

See also the publicly available REACHOUT Deliverable 1.3, ‘Climate stories: initial stories’

Complementarity

The climate story is highly versatile and can integrate the results of any climate tool. Climate tools that produce easy-to-understand visuals are easiest to integrate into a climate narrative. Map-based tool outputs are especially impactful.

The creative process of developing a climate story helps identify needs for new outputs or products from the tools, for example developing easy to understand infographics expressing some of the more complicated scientific content of the tools.

The climate story of Gdynia​

Short summary: A story about Jan and Maria during extreme precipitation.

Theme: Flooding

End user: Citizens

Link to the climate story