What are co-created Story Maps

STARS4Water aims to support adaptive, resilient and sustainable water management by improving understanding of how climate change affects water availability and vulnerabilities, and by developing advanced data services and models for freshwater management. Story Maps help translate technical outputs—such as datasets, model results, climate projections and risk assessments—into accessible visual narratives for decision-makers and non-scientific audiences.

In STARS4Water, Story Maps are web-based visual narratives created with ArcGIS that combine maps, images, text and interactive elements to tell the story of a river basin, both now and in the future. They summarise climate trends, vulnerabilities for water users and potential societal adaptations, guiding users through the main messages step by step rather than requiring them to interpret technical reports.

In this webinar, you will discover what STARS4Water Story Maps are, why they are described as co-created, who they are designed for, and the main design principles that guide their development. You will also see how stakeholder needs and river-basin realities shape their content and how visual and interactive elements are used to communicate complex scientific information in a clear and engaging way

Learning Objectives

• Learn what STARS4Water Story Maps are and what they are designed to communicate.
• Understand why the Story Maps are described as “co-created” and how stakeholder needs and feedback shape them.
• Identify the main design principles used to make Story Maps concise, visual, accessible and understandable to non-scientific audiences.
• Become familiar with the visual and interactive elements used to communicate basin-specific climate and water-management challenges.

Target Audience

• River basin stakeholders, water managers
• Policy makers interested in accessible climate risk communication
• Communication professionals interested in water and climate-related information
• General public interested in accessible communication of river basin challenges and adaptation options

Keywords

Story Maps, river basin, water management, climate change, climate risk, science communication, ArcGIS StoryMaps, data visualisation

Related Resources

• Deliverable 4.3: Web-based Story Maps on water resources availability in river basin hubs

• Webinar 1.3/02.B “How are co-created Story Maps developed”

• Webinar 1.3/02.C “Understanding the Story Map of the Danube River Basin”