Mapleton, a city of 100,000, has just completed a Climate Vulnerability Assessment. The assessment shows that extreme heat and possible flooding associated with climate change pose substantial threats to the city. City officials asked an Advisory Group to suggest ways of preparing for possible emergencies and preventing injury and loss of life. The Advisory Group will have to wrestle with different risk management strategies and come to agreement if they want to have an impact.
This is a seven-party role-play simulation involving city officials, university planners, business representatives, and environmentalists trying to figure out how their city should respond to the possible public health impacts of climate change. The exercise introduces a public health orientation that is often lacking from local efforts to figure out how to adapt to climate risks.
Participants must consider the short-term and long-term public health impacts of climate change while assessing the pros can cons of specific (and conflicting) risk management strategies.