Multi-agent models for teaching, extension and collaborative learning

Publication Type

Conference proceedings

Authors

Berger T., Schreinemachers P.

Year of publication

2008

Published in

Proc. iEMSs 4th Biennial Meeting - Int. Congress on Environmental Modelling and Software: Integrating Sciences and Information Technology for Environmental Assessment and Decision Making, iEMSs 2008

Band/Volume

2/

Page (from - to)

835-841

Conference name

4th Biennial Meeting of International Congress on Environmental Modelling and Software: Integrating Sciences and Information Technology for Environmental Assessment and Decision Making, iEMSs 2008

Conference location

Barcelona, Spain

Conference date

July 7 - 10, 2008

Keywords

sustainability

This paper describes an agent-based land use modeling approach, called MPMAS, developed at Hohenheim University. The main focus of this approach is the integration of economic decision-models with biophysical models of water supply and soil fertility at a fine spatial resolution. Short-term production and consumption decisions of agents are represented as mathematical programming problems, whereas longer-term decisions, for example investment and migration, are represented using heuristics. Here, we position the approach in relation to alternative agent-based models of land use and water management and describe empirical applications to Chile, Uganda, Ghana, and Thailand. Based on these practical experiences, we discuss the use of MP-MAS as a tool for collaborative learning and participatory research.