Geodesign for multi-scalar consensus: Lessons from flood adaptation pathways planning

Area of Science:

• Environmental planning and design
• Geographic Information Science
• Climate change adaptation

Background:

• Effective adaptation to extreme flooding requires integrating blue, green, and human infrastructure across multiple scales.
• Geodesign offers a framework for consensus-building across disciplines and geographic boundaries.

Purpose of the Study:

• To explore the feasibility of multi-scalar geodesign for continental-level adaptation planning.
• To assess the role of integrated teaming in developing consensus for flood risk management.

Main Methods:

• Participants were organized into disciplinary/geographic teams to identify infrastructure interventions within water resources regions (WRRs).
• Teams were reorganized into continental groups to integrate regional data into overarching adaptation alternatives.
• Interrater reliability tests assessed the convergence of alternatives generated with and without full representation.

Main Results:

• High interrater reliability (ICC > 0.9) was observed, indicating consistent evaluation of alternative convergence.
• Alternatives developed with full representation from all teams showed greater convergence than those without.
• Integrated teaming facilitated more rapid consensus on multi-scalar adaptation plans.

Conclusions:

• Multi-scalar geodesign is a viable approach for developing comprehensive adaptation pathways.
• Inclusive and collaborative teaming is crucial for efficient consensus-building in disaster preparedness.
• This methodology supports timely and effective community adaptation to large-scale flooding events.