Interacting with the Water Cycle -Towards an Experimental Paradigm

We address the role of food demand and the agents' mental models for the future of water scarcity. After briefly introducing fundamental facts concerning the water cycle and human water withdrawals, a system dynamics model containing a stylized water cycle and the interaction with a food producer is presented. The producer's task is to maximize profits while conserving sufficient water reserves in the mid-and long-term. Simulation of various stylized decision policies shows a range of different outcomes, making the simulator a valid instrument for decision-making experiments. We close the contribution by discussing the role of decreasing precipitation in the water system and describing future steps.