Games4Sustainability

Upstream-Downstream focuses on climate-related information in decision-making at the community level. The game can be especially useful for  neighbouring upstream and downstream communities – the game shows what results cooperation in managing the consequences of flood, drought and deforestation could bring forth for a public good.

Gameplay

Facilitator sets the game and explain the rules.

Players make decision in groups how to act in face of the climate change.

The magnitude of the flood or drought is set by a roll of dice.

Facilitator ends the game with debriefing and discussion with the players.

Context

Decision-making. Flood. Disaster risk.

Benefits

Upstream-Downstream can help understand how decisions made in an upstream community can affect a downstream community and vice versa how information about probability of drought or flood can affect decision-making the benefits and tradeoffs related to risk preparedness in the context of climate variability and change.

Price

Free for non-comercial purpose.

Number of players

more than 10 players

Number of moderators

1 moderator

Duration

1-2 hours

Materials

game board (the game board can be drawn using 2 sheets of easel paper and red, blue, and green colored markers)

a long table that accommodates 12 people, and the game board.

100 beans in a bowl, 3 per farmer

6 normal white    dice, 1    per upstream farmer

1 colored six-sided die    to represent regional rainfall, for facilitator

100 green tokens in a bowl (green tokens can be substituted with alternative materials), 6 per upstream farmer

100 brown tokens    (young    trees),    in a bowl (brown tokens can be substituted with alternative materials)

Languages

Difficulties

Problems with preparing materials necessary to play game.

How to run this game?

To run/play this game download it from the game’s website.

Did you play the game?

You can also send us longer reviews and articles about games from our gamepedia.
We might post it on our blog page.

Contact us at: contact@games4sustainability.org

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