Developing a tool for community involvement in water policy decision-making using strategic environmental assessments and serious games.

This article focuses on the development and evaluation of a serious game tool called SEA Game and Simulation, designed to enhance community knowledge and skills in water policy decision-making through the Strategic Environmental Assessment (SEA) process. Implemented among 39 participants from four communities in Thailand’s East Coast River Basin, the tool combined a quiz-based smartphone application with participatory simulation workshops to simplify SEA concepts and foster collaborative decision-making. Results showed significant improvements in participants’ SEA knowledge and decision-making skills, though effectiveness varied by participant background and local context. The study suggests that serious games can support community engagement in environmental policy and recommends further research on sustainable measure development and integration of community input into policymaking.