A Systematic Review of Agent-Based Modelling in Agricultural Water Trading

Abstract

Agricultural water trading is typically considered an effective water management mechanism, and decisions made by agricultural agents highly influence its effectiveness. Agent-based modelling (ABM) simulating agricultural agents in the water trading context has drawn attention due to its distinguishable features driven by interactions, heterogeneity, independence, and the evolving characteristics of the decisions of agents. Given its strengths and potential to simulate a complex water trading system, the objectives of this study are to (a) provide a comprehensive review of the status of ABM applications in agricultural water trading through a systematic review and (b) identify the primary trends of the empirical nature of ABM studies, approaches to modelling agricultural agent decisions, uncertainty assessments, and validation approaches in ABM studies. The results show that there is a relationship between the empirical nature of the ABM studies, selected decision models to describe agricultural agents, analysed uncertainties, and the validation approaches employed in ABM studies. This study also provides a future research agenda, including exploring attributes with a direct influence on agent trading decisions and integrating the effects of uncertain trading decisions, long-term water availability changes, and water quality into ABM outcomes.