How Virtual and Augmented Reality can Inspire Youth to Take Action on Climate Change: A Focus on Disaster Risk Reduction and Evacuation

Youth are the least responsible for climate change yet will bear the greatest burden of its impacts (UNICEF, 2021).  They often emerge as the main victims of climate-related crises, lacking the capacity to endure extreme weather events and relying on adults for their safety and well-being. Nevertheless, young individuals possess the potential to actively contribute to disaster risk management processes across all phases, from immediate response to recovery  (Kagawa and Selby, 2012). Youth have the time, energy, creativity to interpret and communicate risks facing their lives and livelihoods (Mort, Rodríguez-Giralt and Delicado, 2022). They actively engage in finding solutions and promoting secure and disaster-preventive lifestyles (Plan International, 2010).

Equipped with the appropriate tools and resources, they can offer fresh perspectives and insights to minimize losses and damages as well as reduce disaster risks (Tanner, 2010). Education is an important gateway to improving disaster risk reduction (DRR) and disseminating knowledge about climate risks and adaptation, providing a timely and economically efficient strategy for tackling the challenges posed by climate change. Effective youth centred DRR strategies necessitate inclusive approaches that encompass individuals of various backgrounds and abilities. This involves not only facilitating their participation but also enabling them to contextualize knowledge based on their social and physical surroundings.

Traditional curriculum development is now being supplemented by digital and virtual learning tools to analyse and prioritize risks and vulnerabilities (George and Oliva, 2019) . Modern visualization technologies, including virtual reality (VR), augmented reality (AR), and mixed reality (MR), have introduced novel interactive experiences that have been harnessed in simulation training systems (Figure 1). VR simulates a computer-generated environment to replicate the real world, allowing participants to immerse themselves and interact with the surroundings. AR overlays virtual elements onto the actual environment, enhancing the physical world with computer-generated information. MR combines virtual and real objects, either incorporating virtual objects into a real environment or placing real objects in a virtual world. While research on MR is relatively limited, VR and AR have proven effective for immersive and engaging learning experiences for children, allowing them to virtually explore remote locations or relive historical events (Unicef, 2023) .

Figure 1 Reality-virtuality spectrum retrieved from Ruggiero (2018).

VR and AR have demonstrated value as they help simulate real disasters and experience emergency responses, such as evacuations and search-and-rescue scenarios (Li et al., 2022). They offer affordable options for participatory mapping, by reproducing the effects of natural disasters on vast geographical areas (Le Dé et al., 2020). Participatory mapping enables children to share their knowledge, foster social connections, and collaborate on disaster planning and evacuation scenarios for schools and local areas. VR and AR retain a potential in sharing people’s experiences and raise disaster awareness. The IOM's "Do the Right Thing" campaign uses virtual reality to showcase videos of youth speaking at the front lines of climate change and how this is impacting entire communities and their migration decisions. Virtual learning tools are also proving to be successful in incorporating game-like elements into non-game contexts, like disaster education. Zhu and Li (2021) discuss and assess the capabilities of virtual reality (VR) and augmented reality (AR) within the context of "serious games" designed for evacuation training. In this scenario, participants immersed in a virtual environment acquire skills to ensure their safety and effectively evacuate from areas of danger.

All in all, VR and AR provide multiple benefits to enhance existing DRR strategies through engaging and realistic learning approaches, even if challenges persist, particularly when involving young people. Safety concerns, including motion sickness in VR and mental discomfort due to motion latency or "motion-to-photon" delay, need to be addressed. Ethical considerations arise, especially when traumatic experiences are involved, necessitating a delicate balance between realism and sensitivity in educational content design. Factors like accessibility, cost, and user comfort must also be considered to fully harness the potential of these technologies in DRR.

About the author:

Domenico Bovienzo is a PhD Candidate in Science and Management of Climate Change at Cà Foscari University and a research fellow in the Risk Assessment and Adaptation Strategies (RAAS) division at the Euro-Mediterranean Centre for Climate Change (CMCC). His thesis is aimed to investigate the relationship between climate change and migration in low-income and agriculturally based countries, with a specific focus on droughts and compounding factors. As part of his PhD dissertation, Domenico is involved in a Horizon 2020 project called Remote climate effects and their impacts on European sustainability, Policy, and Trade (RECEIPT). Domenico has also collaborated with the Institute of European Democrats (Belgium) and the Arciconfraternita Misericordia di Siena (Italy) being involved in several projects. He holds a Master of Research in “Science and Management of Climate Change” from Ca’ Foscari University of Venice, a MSs in Political and International Sciences from the University of Siena and a BSc in Economics from the University of Verona.

This article is part of the IOM Blog Series: Youth Voices on Migration, Environment and Climate Change