3D DYNAMIC MODEL – TUVALU (Funafuti and Nanumea)

Recent studies have found that senior decision-makers within “data driven organisations are three times more likely to report significant improvements in decision making compared to other firms that leverage data less”. However, research has also found that while companies invest in visualisation and data tools much of it can be ‘low quality and uninterpretable, and sometimes even when the data is healthy, there’s simply far too much of it to quantify and interpret into real insights and business results”. Both of these realities are at the core of this concept note to develop 3D modelling for two of Tuvalu’s atoll islands (Funafuti and Nanumea) that combine visual, analysed and layered data sets that provide a holistic overarching understanding of critical issues and opportunities and promote local based solutions.These include understanding the current reclamation work underway and its expected benefit
towards reducing impact from coastal inundation including sea-level rise. By overlaying asset layers (e.g. water and food security asset and infrastructure), the 3D model acts as a knowledge brokering tool to help communicate through augmented reality the current and future risk on atoll communities and in turn supports risk informed decision for short, medium and long term
development strategy. This approach combined with accurate modelling and storytelling is proven to build trust and support increased engagement with different learners including visual, auditory and experience-based learners.3
Storytelling brings the data to live in ways that decision-makers at every level can connect and increase knowledge or better inform decisions and for this reason the approach of combining science with storytelling is embedded in this concept. Based off the recent learnings of the development of an atoll model for the Republic of the Marshall Islands, two models will be developed in Tuvalu looking at integrated based programs and data sets and how this information builds upon each other in meaningful ways to create holistic and informed decision-making tools. Tuvalu is a global leader in climate adaptation actions to protect their communities from the already disastrous impacts of a changing climate. As such, one model will explore how climate adaptation models change the risk faced by communities to risks such as inundation and storm surges and the second model will explore impacts on food security, water security and inundation risk to communities in a sensible and actionable manner.