A Framework for Creating Virtual Reality Models for More Effective Coastal Flood Risk Communication

Authors

Tina Korani, San Jose State UniversityFollow
Alexandrea Martinez, University of California, IrvineFollow

CSU Campus or Other Affiliation

San Jose State University

Non-CSU Affliation

University of California, Irvine

Abstract

Coastal cities are exposed to increasing risks of flooding from sea-level rise. Climate change is expected to double the frequency of coastal flooding within the next decade, and some areas could experience floods of a magnitude 100 times higher than currently (Vitousek et al., 2017). People living in at-risk areas often ignore the impact of climate change on flood intensity and frequency. Immersive visual storytelling techniques proved promising and powerful tools to engage with and raise awareness of flood hazards. Here, we are introducing a framework to use Virtual Reality (VR) to reach better people living in coastal cities and help them understand the impact of climate change on their community. We developed a virtual experience in which people can be immersed in a coastal flood and experience its intensity. We used a combination of UAV imagery and digital photogrammetric techniques to create a virtual environment in which people can recognize real locations in their neighborhood and used GIS flood data to apply a water texture in Unity3D to create the flood levels.

APA Citation

Korani, T., & Martinez, A. (2023). A Framework for Creating Virtual Reality Models for More Effective Coastal Flood Risk Communication. CSU Journal of Sustainability and Climate Change, 3(1). DOI: https://doi.org/10.55671/2771-5582.1021