Freshwater Integrated Resource Management with Agents

It will apply agent based modelling to integrate hydrological, social and economic aspects of water resource management. The resulting models will improve on existing integrated assessments by explicitly representing customers, suppliers, and government and their interaction at various levels of aggregation. New tools for policy makers concerned with issues such as wastewater, water scarcity and integrated catchment planning will be provided. The project will adopt a participatory approach to ensure that its outputs are of value to stakeholders. A generic model will be developed and applied in five contrasting regions in Europe. Prototype models in the form of tools usable by managers, a methodology for developing and applying agent-based models, and educational materials will be delivered.