Rivercraft

Inspiring Environmental Champions

The Environment Agency needed to engage young people with flood risk, climate change, and environmental careers. Working alongside Microsoft and as part of the £54.7 million flood risk management scheme in Preston and South Ribble, the vision was to create the world's first AI-mapped Minecraft world based on a real UK city.

After Rivercraft 1 was played by 27,000+ students and teachers, the Environment Agency commissioned Rivercraft 2 to expand the scope with nature-based solutions, drought management, and sustainable urban drainage — making the content universally applicable beyond Preston.

The Preston World

The in-game Preston world is the first activity of its kind to use Artificial Intelligence to map a real region and convert it into an interactive Minecraft map. Players can spot Preston's famous landmarks as they navigate three themed games about flood defences, climate change, and local ecology.

Managing Flooding

Build Preston's flood defences — walls, embankments, storage areas, and flood gates. Learn the pros and cons of each approach within local communities.

Flood Prevention

Explore how individual actions alleviate climate change and how understanding flood risk reduces damage to people and property.

Our Local Environment

Conduct ecological surveys using digital workbooks and cameras. Spot water voles, otters, and beloved wildlife species along the riverbank.

Expanding the Mission

Launched April 2023, Rivercraft 2 uses generic urban and rural environments — making it universally applicable to schools anywhere. It features real Environment Agency specialists as in-game characters and introduces three new game modules:

Nature-based Solutions — Restore rivers, build ponds, and assist beavers with dam construction to reduce flood risk naturally.

Farming, Irrigation & Drought — Balance water usage and crop management for successful harvests while maintaining wildlife during droughts.

Sustainable Drainage (SuDS) — Construct urban drainage features to reduce surface water flooding and complete household water-efficiency tasks.

From COP26 to Classrooms Worldwide

Rivercraft was presented at COP26 and became the most viewed video on BBC Newsround within 24 hours of launch, reaching audiences across Germany, France, and Spain. The original game was played by 27,000+ students and teachers, with Rivercraft 2 targeting at least double that impact.

The project was shortlisted for two awards: Geography in Government (Excellence in Innovation) and Flood and Coast Excellence 2023. Game characters reflect the diversity of the Environment Agency's project teams, promoting environmental STEM careers to underrepresented groups.

"This is an amazing opportunity for young people to learn about flooding, the environment and climate resilience in a really fun and interactive way."

— John Curtin, Environment Agency Chief Executive

"The creative animation and competitive element kept the students engaged throughout."

— Janet Ruffhead, Head of Humanities, Bishop's Hatfield Girls' School

Scenes from Preston

The first AI-mapped Minecraft world. Flooded streets, defended riverbanks, restored ecology — built from real geospatial data of the Preston floodplain.

Nature-Based Solutions

Rivercraft 2 expands the brief to generic urban and rural landscapes, adding beaver dams, sustainable drainage, and drought management — all designed to work in any classroom, anywhere.

In the Media