About the Game
“Water” you Thinking About Drought? was developed with agricultural decision-making in mind. This game was designed specifically for producers in Alaska but can be adapted for your region!
Alaska has experienced multiple droughts that have impacted crops across the state. Farming in Alaska is unique compared to the Lower 48; they have smaller farms and tend to have younger, less experienced farmers. Many farms also focus on subsistence production, with only the larger farms producing for export. Producers experience many issues regarding water in both Delta Junction and Palmer. In both regions, groundwater is of high importance, and the longevity of this resource is a concern for the future. The planning team developed a 2-year climate scenario game, roughly based off the conditions of the 2004 and 2019 Alaska droughts, to portray a mild and intense drought, respectively. January, February, November and December were excluded from decision-making due to those months being winter. Each month consisted of different indicators of drought including precipitation, temperature, streamflow, snowpack and wildfire. Some months included short-term and long-term climate predictions as well. Many variables have a role in producing drought in Alaska. This game was meant to show how producers can combine multiple sources of data, including their local knowledge of the land, to get a sense of what drought may look like and how it may impact their operation. Four months out of the year, participants were directed to “roll for chance,” introducing randomized risk to the game, similar to what producers may face. Participants were grouped into teams of 3 or 4. Questions related to year 1 and year 2 were helpful to facilitate whole group discussions.
Benefits
- Compliment other educational and outreach tools
- Serve as a team building activity and/or ice breaker during meetings, conferences, or workshops.
- Short, simple and interactive
- Playing time 90+ minutes. Downloadable package with the game and instructions that can be printed.
- Identifies resources and adaptation strategies for agricultural producers in times of drought
- Producers experiencing drought make decisions regarding realistic resources that can improve farm outcome.
How to Play
- Participants play as producers and identify decisions based on the monthly precipitation, temperature and other indicators that impact water supply. Producers identify the costs and benefits between multiple resources that can help reduce impacts to their operations in times of drought.
- If players are virtual, there is an online version of the game. This can be played in breakout rooms with a moderator in each room to go through the climate scenario and to answer any questions.