UpRiver
UpRiver is a two-part early warning / early action game designed with the International Red Cross / Red Crescent for understanding and forecasting water levels along flood-prone areas of rivers. The first part is an analog game designed to help those in flood-prone communities better work with the climate models around river flooding and the importance of upstream-downstream communication for reducing flood losses. The second part, an SMS-based game played on cell phones, aims to both put into place an actual communication network that relays upstream information (thus triggering preparedness measures downstream), and to crowd-source river level data to improve computer models.
The Call
Every year, people die in completely predictable floods. Severe rain overflows the banks of the Zambezi river and water flows downstream hitting each population in order, from the source of the flood to the sea where the river empties. UpRiver was designed in Collaboratorship with the International Red Cross / Red Crescent Climate Centre and the Zambian Red Cross who work directly with people affected by floods to communicate these important ideas and save lives.
The real-world goals of UpRiver are when:
Players learn the nuances of flood forecasting and create a network for communicating river level information
Scientists receive crowdsourced reports on river levels to improve early warnings
Threats of potential flooding can be more quickly anticipated and communicated to those in danger
The design
UpRiver challenges players to predict what the water level in their area will be at a future date. The game combines a simple crowd- sourcing mechanic with exciting risk-reward tradeoffs through a predictive game engine, played both in-person and over the ubiquitous SMS system available to anyone with cellphone access. At the end of each three-week play period, the top players earn real-world rewards (such as cell phone credit).
In the analog game, players simulate water levels along the river by standing in line with cups filled with different amounts of water. Water is added or subtracted from the cups with sponges, and players are asked to predict the final level.
The analogue game and design research.
In the digital version, UpRiver is played on simple $20 USD cell phones with SMS text messaging capabilties. Players receieve phone voice, text, and data cards for the their participation. After a baseline amount for participating, the more measurements and better guesses a player makes based on a real-world water level reader in their community and the data coming from upstream, the point phone card money they will receieve.
A hybrid analogue / digital experience.
In both versions, players earn game currency by reporting the water level, weather, and other real- time information about their local area. They can earn more by placing bets about future conditions. The farther out their predictions, and more accurate their guesses, the larger the reward. To help make more accurate guesses, players may also purchase information about what players up- stream from them are reporting, or buy access to a computer model. In the end, the player who is best able to leverage this information into accurate predictions will win the day.
The water level reports are leveraged by climate scientists to improve flood prediction models, while residents of communities along the Zambezi River will have created, via the game, an ad hoc communications network with each other, allowing those upstream to warn those downstream when flooding may occur.
My Role
I was the co-lead designer and researcher on the project, as well as managing director of the design studio that produced it, the Engagement Lab (at the time known as the Engagement Game Lab).
A Co-Desgin Partnership with the International Red Cross / Red Crescent Climate Centre and Zambian Red Cross.
