Participatory science and serious games have impact - Interview with Pedro Laterra
Pedro Laterra has been a member of the Scientific Advisory Committee (SAC) of the Inter-American Institute for Global Change Research (IAI) since last year. In an interview for the IAI newsletter, he shares details about his work and the challenges he faces in the Andean Patagonian region of Argentina.
Laterra, who works as a researcher for CONICET and the Bariloche Foundation, has actively participated in IAI projects such as the open science committee and mentoring fellows of the IAI's STeP program. Through his experience in mapping and assessing ecosystem services, he has corroborated the importance of transdisciplinarity in connecting science with public policy.
“I am learning so much from the IAI STeP fellows and I see great potential in open science to facilitate decision making.”
One of the key projects Laterra is involved in focuses on the study of biological invasions, specifically those of exotic conifers in Patagonia, which are exacerbated by climate change. These invasive species, adapted to dry conditions, are promoting more frequent and intense forest fires, posing a threat to biodiversity and the safety of local communities.
Laterra highlights the importance of citizen participation in the fight against this problem and citizen science as a crucial tool. “Through simple platforms such as WhatsApp, we have been able to get the community to register invasive hotspots. This helps us create collaborative maps and prioritize interventions on the ground,” he explains. In addition, he stresses the value of collaboration between citizens and government institutions, which alone do not have sufficient resources to address the problem.
“The use of serious games helps to bridge the science-decision-making gap, without overlooking the importance of systemic research.”
Laterra also works in Paraguay, through the Spaces consortium, trying to support that country in developing policies aligned with international commitments to reduce emissions. Another innovative line in his work is the use of serious games as tools to bridge the gap between science and decision-making. “We are developing serious games as a way to cross the interface between science and policy, recognizing that many times the lack of contextualization of research makes it difficult for decision makers to adopt it,” he says.
Finally, Laterra stresses the need for science to be aligned with social and political demands to achieve real impact. “The wheel always turns in the same direction: more research, but without a systemic look, those achievements are not used in the problematic context and hence the lack of adoption in public policies,” he concluded. For him, it is essential to combine science, politics, and community, while transforming the connections between society and nature in a way that balances environmental protection with social welfare.
Laterra's participatory and transdisciplinary approach reflects the IAI's mission to integrate science and communities, with an emphasis on the most vulnerable populations, to address environmental challenges and move towards a more sustainable world.
Watch the full interview (in Spanish) on our YouTube channel