A CIROH and NOAA-Supported Initiative to Engage the Next Generation in Flood Risk Awareness
🎯 Project Overview
How do we engage youth in the realities of flood risk and resilience in a rapidly changing world?
This project, led by Dr. Qiuhua Duan at the University of Alabama, reimagines flood education through the power of AI-driven storytelling, immersive gaming, and real-world data.
Supported by the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) and the Cooperative Institute for Research to Operations in Hydrology (CIROH), the initiative aims to transform how young people understand flood risks and contribute to community resilience through an interactive, intelligent educational game.
🚀 Project Objectives
- Gamify Flood Education with Real Data
Develop a dynamic, educational game using the Godot game engine, featuring realistic flood simulations built from:- Socio-demographic and environmental data
- Historical flood damage records
- National Weather Service (NWS) Flood Inundation Mapping (FIM)
- Integrate GPT-4 for Interactive Learning
Use generative AI to guide users through immersive role-playing, decision-making, and crisis communication scenarios—making flood resilience education engaging and accessible. - Evaluate Learning and Engagement
Conduct user testing across K–16 audiences and broader communities using platforms like Amazon Mechanical Turk and social media outreach. Evaluate effectiveness through in-game metrics, surveys, and quizzes.
💡 Why It Matters
As climate-driven flooding grows more severe, younger generations will play a vital role in shaping resilient communities. However, traditional education methods often fail to engage or equip them with the tools to understand these risks.
This project bridges that gap by combining:
- Real-world flood science
- Artificial intelligence for human interaction
- Gamification for deep learning and behavioral change
The outcome: a publicly available educational platform that helps learners explore flood hazards, decision-making, and crisis response—within realistic, data-driven simulations.