Rivercraft: an educational flood risk tool

Rivercraft 2 is designed to educate younger people about flood risk and inspire new solutions to the problem.

The game is the result of a partnership between Microsoft, BlockBuilders and the Environment Agency and is being heralded as an innovative climate change and biodiversity resource for students. The designers based the game on the £54.7m flood risk management scheme in Preston and South Ribble, using artificial intelligence to convert the region into an interactive Minecraft map.

Throughout the game, users will encounter characters and scenarios involved in environmental response and planning, such as an environmental project manager with a brief to design a species-conscious response to habitat protection, heritage preservation, water scarcity, or land use.

Speaking of the game, John Curtin, chief executive at the Environment Agency, says “This is an amazing opportunity for young people to learn about flooding, the environment and climate resilience in a really fun and interactive way.”

“We hope these games drive new interest in careers in science, technology, engineering and maths, as well as introducing the next generation to the brilliant career opportunities we have in the Environment agency,” he adds.

So far, the Rivercraft game series has reached 27,000 young people and teachers in the UK with hopes to double its impact with new features.

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