Modelling the tendencies of a residential population to conserve water

Date
2020-11-11
Journal Title
Journal ISSN
Volume Title
Publisher
Southern African Institute for Industrial Engineering
Abstract
ENGLISH ABSTRACT: Water scarcity is both a global and a local phenomenon. In order to address this, investigations into water demand management strategies and the conservation tendencies of a population are imperative. This paper investigates the tendencies of a residential population in the City of Cape Town to conserve water in response to certain demand management strategies, using an agent-based simulation approach. The model allows for the population in a ward of interest to be defined by certain attributes, such as income level and access to information. The user may trigger certain demand management strategies during the simulation run, and visually explore the changes in environmental awareness and conservation tendency of the user-defined population. The model has the ability to be used as an investigative tool to explore the effect of different water demand management strategies on the tendencies of households in different wards of Cape Town to conserve water.
AFRIKAANSE OPSOMMING: Water skaarsheid is beide ʼn globale en lokale verskynsel. Ondersoeke na wateraanvraag bestuur strategieë en die besparingneigings van ʼn populasie is belangrik om die verskynsel aan te spreek. Hierdie artikel ondersoek die tendense van ʼn residensiële bevolking in die Stad van Kaapstad om water te bespaar in reaksie op ʼn sekere aanvraag bestuurstrategie deur middel van ʼn agent-gebaseerde simulasie benadering. Die model maak voorsienning dat die bevolking in ʼn betrokke wyk gedefinieer kan word aan die hand van kenmerke soos inkomste en toegang tot informasie. Die gebruiker kan dan aanvraag bestuurstrategieë aktiveer tydens die simulasie en die veranderinge in die omgewingsbewustheid en besparingsneigings van die bevolking visueel ondersoek. Die model bied die vermoë om ondersoeke na die invloed van verskillende wateraanvraag bestuurstrategieë te ondersoek en om die neigings jeens waterbesparing van huishoudings in verskillende wyke in Kaapstad te ondersoek.
Description
CITATION: Searle, C. & Harper, V. E. 2020. Modelling the tendencies of a residential population to conserve water. South African Journal of Industrial Engineering, 31(3):122-132, doi:10.7166/31-3-2425.
The original publication is available at http://sajie.journals.ac.za
Keywords
Water conservation, Climatic changes, Population growth, Water -- Scarcity, Water conservation research
Citation
Searle, C. & Harper, V. E. 2020. Modelling the tendencies of a residential population to conserve water. South African Journal of Industrial Engineering, 31(3):122-132, doi:10.7166/31-3-2425