Crowdsource module for climate hazard mapping

Figure 6: Crowdsource module in Cork, filled by UCC Geography students.

Tool description

The Crowdsource module visualises publicly generated climate data in a digital map. Finding ready-to-use spatial data on climate hazards and vulnerable locations can be a challenge. Local crowdsourcing presents an opportunity to collect this information through methods such as community mapping. Citizens or specific user groups are asked to map climate information via a questionnaire. The resulting dataset can be used to validate technical data or help to prioritise actions. Besides collecting data, the crowdsource module engages citizens and initiates discussion, helping to raise public awareness about climate adaptation.

Complexity

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Complexity explanation

There are both free and commercial software licenses available for tools that support crowd sourcing. If a city has no software available, a license may be costly.
An example of a commercial tool that can be used is ArcGIS online.
A tool based on open source components is also a possibility, but requires programming skills.

Benefits of using the tool

The Crowdsource tool is particularly useful for city representatives wishing to plan adaptation action in growing urban centres as it allows to:
• Identify areas vulnerable to a climate hazard of interest for the city e.g. heatwaves, flooding.
• Validate existing flood/heat maps.
• Involve citizens, stakeholders and local organisations by giving them an active role.
• Provide the opportunity to use intangible knowledge of citizens to complement scientific knowledge.

City Hub experiences

The tool has been used by students of the university of Cork. A tailored questionnaire has been designed to gather climate information from students. At this stage 49 inputs have been gathered and the current outcome can be visualized in a digital map. The map shows potential vulnerable areas or objects accompanied by pictures. Examples include floodplains, low bridges, clogged water drains and flooded areas.

 

Triple-A phases

The tool can be used in the following Triple-A phases:
  • Analysis phase to find vulnerable areas in the city
  • Action phase to validate / ground-truth model data or help to prioritize actions.

Guidance

Not available yet

Contact

Climate Adaptation Services (CAS)

More information at

The Crowdsourcing module for Cork is currently being tested by Geography students of University College Cork. The example can be found here Cork’s Climate Change Vulnerability (2022)

Link to the Crowdsource Manager Guidance from ArcGIS

Complementarity

The Crowdsourcing tool could be used to complement and verify output from other tools such as the Pluvial flood hazard and risk assessment, FloodAdapt tool in urban areas (C3S) and the Thermal Assessment Tool. In addition, the Crowdsourcing module can be embedded into the climate stories to support communication.

The climate story of Gdynia​

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

Theme: Flooding

End user: Citizens

Link to the story: under construction