Abstract:
Environmental problems associated with the use of water are inherently complex,
involving the interaction of several different systems. Further, there is often limited
data on the interaction, because of its location between disciplines. In order to study
these problems in a quantitative, policy relevant way, a numerical model is required that
integrates the different systems and is tailored to contain the processes important to the
interaction.
A numerical water resource system model is developed to study the problems associated
with the interaction between agriculture and water. The model integrates an
econometric model of farmer behaviour with a dynamic model of water flow and solute
transport. The Argolid valley in Greece represents an area where severe environmental
problems have arisen as a result of the overexploitation of groundwater for agriculture.
When applied to the Argolid valley the water resource system model reproduces the
evolution of the environmental problems that have arisen. It is then demonstrated that
the model can be used to investigate some future scenarios and policy options related to
the environmental problems that have developed.
The main contribution of this research is to demonstrate that a properly designed
numerical model that reproduces the dynamic interaction between human behaviour and
the physical environment can enable the exploration of the evolution of environmental
problems despite a lack of calibration data. Having achieved this the model can then be
used in a policy relevant way to investigate the implications from a range of different,
possible policy options.
