NSF-NFRF: Climate Collaboratorium: Co-creation of Decision Labs for Exploring Climate Change Adaptation and Mitigation

This project addresses risks to water security in vulnerable communities and how that risk intersects with risks associated with critical physical infrastructure, networks and services, and risks to living standards. Aging water infrastructure like dams, reservoirs, tidal protection, canals, and natural flood abatement are affecting livelihoods and water security in the study regions in the U.S., Canada, Germany, and the U.K. This partnership examines shared issues affecting water security and livelihoods of vulnerable people living in those four watersheds. More specifically, the project will demonstrate the novelty of applied theater decision labs to engage individuals and communities and impact better decision making on vital issues of water security and climate change. This innovative approach engages impacted populations in design thinking through applied theater to help translate climate science into the public policies and individual actions necessary to make change. For those taking part in this applied theater decision lab – including Indigenous people, those from vulnerable communities impacted by flooding or people seeing their cultural heritage literally being washed out to sea - they will have the opportunity for their voices and stories to be heard. Equally important, this project will also hear the voices that lead to inertia or seek to slow or even stop needed climate change action. The impact of this project will be the use of design thinking as part of the inter-active performance as a tool for the audience to work together to address the issues raised in this play, practicing design thinking as they pursue actionable change in their real-life community. This is a project jointly funded by the U.S. National Science Foundation and funding agencies from Canada, Germany, and the United Kingdom via the 2023 International Joint Initiative for Research on Climate Change Adaptation and Mitigation Competition. This Competition allowed a single joint international proposal to be submitted and peer-reviewed by Canada. Upon successful joint determination of an award recommendation, each agency funds the proportion of the budget that supports scientists at institutions in their respective countries. This award reflects NSF's statutory mission and has been deemed worthy of support through evaluation using the Foundation's intellectual merit and broader impacts review criteria.