Narratives as person-centred climate services
The CoCareSociety project co-develops narrative-driven climate services that combine information on climate change, health, long-term care and energy efficiency. The research findings are presented in narrative form, discussed at public events and further developed together with stakeholders. The scenarios designed in this way make it easier to understand and process the information on complex social challenges in the present and future. By creating a personal connection and addressing the needs of vulnerable groups, they promote informed decision-making and motivation for change towards a climate-resilient society.
Image created with Microsoft Copilot by CoCareSociety
A friend of yours, Anna, lives in Geesthacht near Hamburg in northern Germany. She is an elderly woman and has lived alone in her two-storey house since her husband died a few years ago. Her two children live far away and her circle of friends is getting smaller and smaller. But when she feels lonely, she seeks the company of her neighbours. They sometimes offer to do her shopping for her and clear the snow outside her house in winter. Anna lives on her pension and her widow’s pension. She has to save money because of the upcoming renovation of the house. As she doesn't know how to compare prices on the internet, she also has quite expensive electricity and gas contracts.
Image created with Microsoft Copilot by CoCareSociety
Anna often feels unhappy and anxious. Recently, she has become increasingly inattentive and forgetful. She has pain from arthritis in her joints and cataracts, so she has difficulty driving at night. She is afraid that she may not be able to drive her car in the near future. She uses a stick because she has become increasingly unsteady on her feet in recent years. The supermarket and bakery are usually within walking distance, but she can’t carry the groceries herself, so she uses the car for her shopping. In addition, the walk is too far for her on hot summer days and she doesn’t feel safe walking on frosty days.
Image artificially created with Microsoft Copilot by CoCareSociety
In Geesthacht, Anna is used to a temperate climate with only a few hot days above 30 °C a year. However, in recent years she has noticed how the summers are getting hotter, and heatwaves are lasting longer. On hot days, she can hardly leave her flat during the day, but the heated interiors also cause her discomfort. Last summer, she started preparing two litre carafes of water for the day in the morning after almost falling in the kitchen during a dizzy spell. She considered buying an air conditioner, but then decided in favour of an energy-saving fan so as not to increase her electricity bills.
Image artificially created with Microsoft Copilot by CoCareSociety
Extreme weather events caused by climate change, such as heatwaves, will become more frequent in the future. In fact, in 20 years there will be around 50 % more hot days in the Duchy of Lauenburg than there are today. Heavy rainfall will also increase. Anna’s cellar flooded during the last heavy rainfall. The subsequent clear-out not only pushed Anna to her physical limits. She also had to cope with the loss of valuable memorabilia. However, it was comforting that she was able to order the bulky waste collection together with her neighbours and that they also carried the heavy items out of the cellar for her.
What challenges could Anna face in the future in terms of climate change, energy, health and care? What can Anna do or what can be done for Anna so that she can live well in the future?
Status as of 21 January, 2025
CoCareSociety would like to thank the German Federal Ministry of Education and Research (BMBF) for the BMBF Junior Research Group funding support and the project management support from the German Aerospace Center (DLR).