Agent-based case studies for understanding of social-ecological systems: Cooperation on irrigation in Bali

Abstract

This paper describes the design phase of an ABM case study of Bali irrigation. The aim of the model is to explain the differences in the ability of rice paddy farmers to collectively adapt through cooperation. The model should allow exploring factors affecting self organisation within and between rice paddy farmer communities. The exercise of the ABM case study aims to move abstract models (theory) closer to real world phenomena, which requires contextualisation. This paper focuses on the first steps in model contextualisation: model selection and specification for the Bali irrigation case.© Springer-Verlag Berlin Heidelberg 2014.