An action research study on the topic of climate change education was conducted in collaboration between science and social science education researchers and teachers at three lower secondary schools. After joint literature seminars, teachers planned and conducted teaching sequences on climate change, including an out-of-school visit to the collaborating university with a focus on increased local risk of flooding due to climate change. Interviews with students at the end of the study revealed that they appreciated the teaching sequence, tried to lead their personal lives in a climate-friendly way, but were not very engaged emotionally in climate change as an issue. Meeting notes and interviews with teachers show that science teachers prioritized teaching climate change as a physical phenomenon, but social science teachers expressed frustration with students’ lack of emotional engagement and a perceived disconnect between students’ knowledge of climate change and choices in their personal lives. Challenges in conducting action research in a situation with different objectives across the initiating municipality, and participating researchers, teachers, and students are discussed.

Science education on climate change typically focuses on the greenhouse effect as a physical phenomenon and how students can contribute to reducing greenhouse gas emissions. However, students also need to understand how climate change influences the local risk of natural hazards, and how society can adapt to such risk. 150 grade 8-9 pupils were invited to an out-of-school event at Karlstad University in Sweden on the topic of local risk of flooding. Video data have been recorded of pupils’ interaction with one of the activities, Riskville. The data analysis focuses on how one group of pupils expressed competence in relation to flooding as a natural hazard, which is contrasted with other groups that engaged with the activity to a lesser extent. The results show that the pupils who expressed competence could identify locations that are vulnerable to flooding, express empathy with affected people, and come up with suitable ways to prevent flooding or deal with the consequences of flooding. The less engaged pupils built towers of building blocks as a protest against the task. The study demonstrates that a competence-oriented approach can contribute to a more holistic understanding of climate change by connecting to students’ personal experiences and local contexts.

Grade 8 and 9 students participated during a day in out-of-school activities on the theme of climate-related risks with a focus on flooding. The day was part of a participatory action research project on climate education, in collaboration between science education researchers and teachers at three lower-secondary schools. One of the activities was based on the game Riskville, where a model of a city is built with wooden blocks on a felt carpet. Students working in small groups were first asked to make the city an attractive place to live in and were then confronted with climate-related events, such as flooding due to torrential rain. Students were instructed to show on the carpet the consequences of such events, and discuss how they could be addressed or prevented. Video analysis of the activity shows that students were engaged in building an attractive city, assuming a perspective of their age group, such as building bicycle paths between residential areas and recreational activities. They could identify locations and buildings that are vulnerable to flooding, such as areas close to a river or viaducts, but had difficulties finding ways to avoid flooding. The results show that Riskville gives students opportunities to concretise their understanding of local climate-related risks and how they can be treated. Through collaboration and negotiation, they are allowed to explore different scenarios with the model. Overall, the activities provided a societal focus on adaptations that goes beyond the typical focus on mitigation, reduction of students’ individual carbon footprint, in climate education.

Inom ramen för ett forskningsprojekt om undervisning om klimatförändringar har vi bedrivit en forskningscirkel under läsåret 2022/2023 i samarbete mellan forskare vid Karlstads universitet och lärare på högstadiet vid tre grundskolor i Karlstads kommun. Elever i årskurs 8 och 9 deltog under en dag som organiserades av RiskLab vid Centrum för forskning om samhällsrisker (CSR), Karlstads universitet, på temat klimatrelaterade risker, med fokus på risk för översvämningar i Karlstad. I en av aktiviteterna fick eleverna i uppdrag att bygga en attraktiv stad och identifiera konsekvenserna av en klimatrelaterad händelse i spelet Riskköping. Videoanalys visar att eleverna engagerade sig i att bygga en attraktiv stad och kunde identifiera platser och byggnader som riskerar att översvämmas, men hade svårt att komma på sätt att förebygga detta. Ett spel som Riskköping ger elever möjlighet att konkretisera sin förståelse för lokala klimatrelaterade risker och hur de kan hanteras.

Education plays a key role in disaster risk reduction (DRR) and in creating resilient societies worldwide by disseminating information about risks and in improving people’s risk awareness. This, in turn, helps them to prepare, cope with and recover from possible disaster events, hence making the societies more resilient. This paper shortly presents the theoretical background and the rules of the game Riskville where the participants get to experience in a hands-on manner the connections and conflicts between urban planning, different interests and climate related risks. We conclude that Riskville promotes discussions on different perspectives on disaster risk and resilience and approaches in including them into urban planning.

Efter en mycket regnrik höst kulminerade vattennivån i Glafsfjorden den 29 november 2000 på drygt 3 m över normalnivån. De strandnära områdena i det värmländska Arvika sattes under vatten, vägnätet hotades, många mindre vägar fick stängas av och järnvägstrafiken ställdes in i över tre veckor. Samhällets krafter mobiliserades för att skydda fastigheter och infrastruktur. Många högt uppsatta besökare kom till Arvika för att se översvämningen med egna ögon. Läget var skarpt i en och en halv månad.

Boken ger en inblick i den meteorologiska och hydrologiska bakgrunden av händelsen. Den beskriver händelseförloppet och skadorna som översvämningen orsakade. I en samhällsekonomisk genomgång summeras de direkta skadekostnaderna till 315 Mkr i 2009 års prisläge. Översvämningen följdes upp i ett stort antal utredningar och boken skildrar hur planerna till ett översvämningsskydd för staden växte fram. Den mänskliga dimensionen av händelsen förtydligas med berättelser av översvämningsdrabbade privatpersoner och intervjuer med kommunanställda.