Design and development of serious games for future proof peatland management: Option for virtual Living Labs

Abstract

Worldwide, including Indonesia and the EU, current (agricultural) use in peatlands is based on massive water drainage. Because drainage leads to environmental problems, many scholars, policy makers and (agricultural) entrepreneurs are rethinking peatland use, aiming for more sustainable peatland management, based on rewetting. However, policymakers and governments often hesitate to implement measures in practice, because rewetting peatlands could have massive socio-economic impacts. Serious Gaming (SG) can facilitate the transition to more sustainable use of peat areas because it provides a safe environment in which social and physical impact of choices can be simulated and evaluated. The SG website http://peatland.eu/ aims to contribute to transition processes for sustainable futures by exploring processes of communication, participation, and social-ecological learning in peatland initiatives. Envisioning a similar impact of this virtual Living Lab it is the ambition to design http://peatland.asia/ and thereby provide a learning strategy for Higher Education Institutes and other interested parties. Achieving such strategy requires a transdisciplinary approach to meet user experience and interface requirements, scientific validity, and contemporary relevance. This paper explores both websites in a context of a collaborative initiative to engage a diversity of peatland colleagues in the further development of interactive relevance of the website.