Sai Ravela, a principal research scientist at MIT’s Department of Earth, Atmospheric and Planetary Sciences, leads a team that uses game‑based computer models to help coastal communities cope with climate risk. Funded by the 2025 Abdul Latif Jameel Water and Food Systems Lab (J‑WAFS) India grant, the project focuses on agricultural decision‑making under climate stress.
The team first downscales global climate projections to produce high‑resolution local hazard maps, estimating probabilities of floods, droughts, heat waves, and salinity stress. Combining surveys, scientific models, and local knowledge, they build an impact graph that simulates how different scenarios affect yields, land use, and livability.
To bring these maps directly to the people most affected, the team created a three‑stage game: (1) a physical “snakes and ladders” board; (2) a mixed version that still uses the board but lets a computer generate events and calculate risk percentages; (3) a fully digital simulation playable on a cellphone app. The game has been piloted in two villages (Bally Island and Joygopalpur) in India’s Sundarbans and a neighboring village in Bangladesh.
Field observations show that soil salinization causes Boro rice to brown prematurely, and simple embankment upgrades often fall short. The simulation lets players evaluate embankments, mangrove restoration, canal excavation, groundwater recharge, diversified crops, fisheries, and agrivoltaics together, revealing that integrated strategies yield better long‑term returns and system resilience.
Groups of about 10‑12 participants work best, providing enough idea diversity without slowing the process. Players initially pursue individual success but gradually shift toward cooperation, even forming community insurance pools.
The game offers three key advantages: (1) it surfaces perspectives that formal decision‑making misses, especially from women and other marginalized groups; (2) all participants start on an equal footing, reducing social bias; (3) it allows testing of high‑risk, high‑cost, or socially sensitive options without real‑world consequences.
By experimenting within the game, communities can explore the policy space, increase ownership of solutions, and help donors and NGOs implement more targeted interventions. Interest has spread to Bangladesh and Thailand; roughly 75% of the simulation is reusable across sites, with the remainder customized to local geography, livelihoods, hazards, and governance.
Future work will involve longitudinal studies to validate emerging hypotheses and determine whether the approach truly solves real problems before scaling. The ultimate aim is to enable people to work together through a shared game, discovering sustainable pathways for climate adaptation. Review