Role of Heterogeneous Behavioral Factors in an Agent-Based Model of Crop Choice and Groundwater Irrigation
Publication: Journal of Water Resources Planning and Management
Volume 145, Issue 2
Abstract
Unsustainable groundwater use has led to the lowering of groundwater levels and the degradation of groundwater-dependent ecosystems worldwide. Integrated hydrologic-ecological-economic models have been developed to simulate and optimize the coupled human and groundwater systems, and address the issue of unsustainable groundwater use. However, a lack of understanding of the heterogeneity of groundwater users undermines the performance of the integrated models. In this paper, an agent-based model is developed using a two-stage optimization strategy with the goal of optimizing the decision making of heterogeneous farmers on crop choice and groundwater irrigation. The performance of the optimization strategy is evaluated under the influence of four behavioral factors. The results illustrate that the optimization strategy can lead to higher crop profits or a slower rate of groundwater depletion in comparison with the observations, but does not necessarily guarantee the optimal solution in balancing these two objectives. In order to achieve sustainable groundwater use, the roles that behavioral factors play in farmers’ decision making need to be better understood, and better accounted for in groundwater policy.
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Data Availability Statement
The following data, models, and code generated or used during the study are available from the corresponding author by request:
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Models: The coupled agent-based model and RRCA model. The agent-based model is written in Java and coupled with the RRCA model, which is available at http://www.republicanrivercompact.org/.
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Data: The input data to run the coupled agent-based model and RRCA model from 1993–2006, including but not limited to the data for variables in Tables 1 and 3, as well as the output data as the result of running different scenarios as described in the paper.
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Code: The SQL and MATLAB scripts to process the outputs to generate the figures in the paper.
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Published In
Journal of Water Resources Planning and Management
Volume 145 • Issue 2 • February 2019
Copyright
©2018 American Society of Civil Engineers.
History
Received: Jan 3, 2018
Accepted: Aug 14, 2018
Published online: Dec 14, 2018
Published in print: Feb 1, 2019
Discussion open until: May 14, 2019
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