Climate demonstrations in the Geodome

Subject
  • Case studie
  • Flooding
  • Urban planning
  • Tourism

Climate demonstrations that provide an opportunity for visitors to interact with a climate expert from SMHI are held in the mobile Geodome. The aim of these demonstrations is to increase engagement and to educate visitors about the causes of climate change and its effects both globally and locally.

The Geodome
The Geodome is 6.5 meters wide and can accommodate 25 children or 20 adults.

The Geodome is an inflatable dome with a projection screen that covers almost the entire interior surface. SMHI and Visualization Center C take the mobile dome on tour and visualise the impact of the climate.

The climate demonstrations are conducted as week-long tours within a county. These are produced jointly with climate experts from SMHI and the Centre for Climate Science and Policy Research, advanced visualisations from Visualization Center C and local knowledge from the county administrative board. The visualisations can be tailored to each municipality using images and information about local events.

Presentation in front of the Geodome
The climate communicator from SMHI and the Visualization Center's technician are welcoming the visitors

Over the course of 30–40 minutes, a climate communicator from SMHI talks about our impact on the climate, the effects of climate change and what we can do to adapt, all while moving images are shown on the screen. The visualisations are controlled in real time by a technician from Visualization Center C.

Visualization in the Geodome
Visitors are on the floor under the climate view. Here, all countries' greenhouse gas emissions are visualized.

The demonstration is more reminiscent of a cinematic experience than a lecture, but is still interactive. The audience can talk about their experiences or ask questions and are thus involved in directing the demonstration. Participants lie on the floor in the dome with pillows under their heads and look up to the dome-shaped screen on the roof. The screened-off room and the screen that almost encircles the visitors increase their receptivity and focus. At the same time, the visualisations help to make complex information about the climate more accessible and reveal links between what happens globally and locally.

Stirs up interest and increases the level of knowledge

So far, those visiting the Geodome’s climate demonstrations have primarily been municipal politicians and civil servants, as well as school pupils. The content and degree of difficulty can be adapted to the target group’s level of knowledge.

The tours have become one way for the county administrative board to firmly root efforts to adapt to climate change in the county’s municipalities and stir up politicians’ interest in the issue. The event also provides local civil servants and politicians with access to locally adapted information from SMHI, which is Sweden’s expert authority within the fields of climatology, oceanography, hydrology and meteorology. This may concern the flow of water and flooding, heat-waves or rising sea levels, depending on the municipality’s position and circumstances.

In addition, the climate demonstrations can be a new and more accessible way to increase the level of knowledge and engage young people in the issue of the climate. Information for schools has been produced so that pupils can prepare for their visit to the Geodome and think about questions they want to ask the climate communicator from SMHI. This information currently consists of a collection of links to easily accessible information about climate change, its effects and possible adaptation measures.

Financing

The contribution from SMHI is financed using central government funding as it is part of its climate adaptation appropriation to support county administrative boards’ work. Visualization Center C’s contribution is financed by the county administrative board and the municipalities.

Future

The concept of climate demonstrations in the Geodome is constantly being developed. The visitor experience is constantly being improved by side arrangements with the county administrative board on site, improvements to the visualisations and collaboration with additional public authorities such as MSB.

More examples of climate adaptation

This is one of many examples of climate adaptation. There are more in the collection of ideas being built up by the Swedish National Knowledge Centre for Climate Change Adaptation at the Swedish Meteorological and Hydrological Institute (SMHI). The collection of examples has the aim of sharing experiences and providing ideas to everyone who works with climate adaptation. Examples describe concrete measures and challenges in several subject areas. They show how different actors have worked to adapt their activities to the climate changes that are already being noticed today and those that we cannot prevent in the future.