An Agent-Based Approach to Support Decision-Making of Total Amount Control for Household Water Consumption
Yan Ma, Zhenjiang Shen, Mitsuhiko Kawakami, Katsunori Suzuki, Ying Long
Advances in Geographic Information Science, 107-128
In this chapter, we present an agent-based model of household water consumption simulation (HWCSim) for the visualization of policy effectiveness of total amount control for household water consumption and as a guide for sustainable water resource management. Within this model the volume of household water consump- tion is regulated through a negotiation process regarding water price adjustment between household and government. Water consumption in an urban area is examined as a closed local water market, and a water price negotiation process between the supply side and the demand side is simulated. This process reflects how the supply side (government) and the demand side (households) reach a consensus on water price. The world urban population is predicted to reach 5.0 billion in 2030 (United Nations 2007). As a result of massive immigration to urban areas, in the past decade, household-level population activities and environmental influences have become major fields in population-environment research (Sherbinin et al. 2008). People’s increasing interest in environmental protection has caused sustainable development to become a popular topic. Sustainable development in this context means that energy supplies are readily available at reasonable cost, but are also sustainable over the long term and can be used for all required tasks without negative social effects (Ibrahim 2010). Water is the most basic resource.
