Illustrations showing the shrinking of the glacier mass by discharge in Greenland, Sea Level Projection Tool.
© Clémence Foucher
An interactive tool
Rising sea levels are a global phenomenon, associated with the melting of glaciers and ice caps and the thermal dilation of the oceans. Other factors are geological aspects and variations in greenhouse gas emission scenarios. Translating this complex scientific issue into comprehensible tools is a major challenge in planning for impacts at local level.
As part of the PROTECT project, a multidisciplinary team has developed an interactive website – the Sea Level Projection Tool. The aim is to provide a clear understanding of the processes involved and their consequences.
Illustration of a large-scale infrastructure to protect a wide range of activities, Sea Level Projection Tool.
© Clémence Foucher
Understanding a global phenomenon through an approach based on three components
The approach of the Sea Level Projection Tool is based on three complementary components:
- Education, through an illustrated glossary based on IPCC definitions with visuals by Clémence Foucher, a scientific illustrator;
- Interactivity, through a simulator that lets users explore the combined effects of the factors contributing to rising water levels in each region;
- Storytelling, through fictional cases based on real-life situations in France, the Netherlands and the Maldives.
These real-life stories show the adaptation measures taken by different regions, from protecting inhabited areas to adapting infrastructure, implementing nature-based solutions or pursuing relocation.
Science developed for users
With its clear, interactive tools, this project illustrates the benefits of data translation: making scientific knowledge useful, without oversimplifying it. This type of approach allows everyone – elected officials, teachers and the general public – to gain a better understanding of the possible scenarios for rising sea levels and to identify the best course of action.
