Climate change effects at your doorstep: Geographic visualization to support Nordic homeowners in adapting to climate change

Abstract

The complexity of climate information, particularly as related to climate scenarios, impacts, and action alternatives, poses significant challenges for science communication. This study presents a geographic visualization approach involving lay audiences to address these challenges. VisAdapt TM is a web-based visualization tool designed to improve Nordic homeowners' understanding of climate change vulnerability and to support their adaptive actions. VisAdapt is structured to enable individual users to explore several climate change impact parameters, including temperature and precipitation, for their locations and to find information on specific adaptation measures for their house types and locations. The process of testing the tool included a focus group study with homeowners in Norway, Denmark, and Sweden to assess key challenges in geographic visualization, such as the level of interactivity and information. The paper concludes that geographic visualization tools can support homeowners' climate adaptation processes, but that certain features, such as downscaled climate information are a key element expected by users. Although the assessment of interactivity and data varied both across countries and user experience, a general conclusion is that a geographic visualization tool, like VisAdapt, can make climate change effects and adaptation alternatives tangible and initiate discussions and collaborative reflections.

On the call for issue advocates, or what it takes to make adaptation research useful

“…those that are already committed and work actively with the issue. These statements are in line with previous studies on climate communication (Ballantyne et al 2017) and the development of interactive tools (Glaas et al 2017;Neset et al 2016;Bohman et al 2015), which stress the importance of clear visual outputs for awareness raising and for creating engagement and involvement. In this context, maps as a medium for presenting information (related to practical implementation) were discussed in more detail.…”

Visualiseringens roller i klimatkommunikation – ett mottagarperspektiv

“…In line with this definition, climate visualization research typically draws on techniques from the fields of information visualization, geographic visualization and landscape visualization to create visual representations and develop tools with the aim of analyzing and communicating climate change data and information to diverse audiences through digital formats (cf. Sheppard et al 2011;Neset et al 2016a). Landscape visualization is typically defined in relation to methods that show the impacts of future climate change on a local scale in a realistic manner (Brown et al 2006;Burch et al 2010;Shaw et al 2011;Sheppard et al 2011Sheppard et al , 2012O'Neill & Smith 2014;Schroth et al 2014;Lovett at al.…”

“…2015;Sheppard 2015). Geographic visualization (or geovisualization) makes use of geospatial data and maps to visually represent aspects of, for example, climate change (Lieske 2012;Bishop et al 2013;Bohman et al 2015;Neset et al 2016a), and information or data visualization more broadly concerns the visual representation of complex and large datasets of various kind (Kraak, 2003;Tominski et al 2011;Schneider 2012;Spence 2014;Newell et al 2016;Herring et al 2017;Johansson et al 2017).…”

“…McKendry & Machlis (2009, 220) argue that "maps have power to inform or misinform, clarify or confuse through the use or misuse of design principles" and therefore that they are an important mode of communicating climate change information to lay audiences. Hence, central aspects of geographic visualization include the structuring and scaling of geospatial data, the graphical representation of data, and the development of user interfaces that allow for flexibility in data exploration (MacEachren & Kraak 2001;McKendry & Machlis 2009;Lieske 2012;Bishop et al 2013;Neset et al 2016a). The technological advancements over the past two decades have had a significant impact on the development and use of tools utilizing geographic visualization techniques.…”

“…The tool is designed as a web-based platform that entails geographic and information visualization consisting of an interactive interface that guides users through a three-step process, in which different locations and house types can be selected and regional climate-related risks, scenarios and related adaptation measures can be explored (cf. Glaas et al 2015a;Neset et al 2016a; Paper III).…”