Thesis subject
Agent-based modelling of tourism and water scarcity
The Environmental Systems Analysis Group provides the possibility for students to do their thesis in collaboration with our group. This is one of many possible thesis subjects. Please feel free to contact Dr Amelung (right) for more information.
In the Mediterranean region, tourism is an important but under-researched consumer of water. The European SIMTWIST project (www.simtwist.eu), which was completed last year, aims to:
- estimate tourism’s share in current and future macro-level water scarcity in the Mediterranean, and
- study and simulate water-related behaviour of and interactions between tourism stakeholders at the micro-level.
The project’s ultimate objective is to inform tourism decision-makers about the effectiveness of a variety of measures to reduce tourism’s water consumption.
Thesis students are invited to build on the results of the SIMTWIST project to develop an agent-based model (ABM). ABMs focus on actors and their behaviour and interactions within an environment. In the case of the SIMTWIST project, the environment consists of a tourism destination (Benidorm in Spain and/or Rimini in Italy) and its water resources. Relevant actors include representatives from the tourism industry, the water sector and policy makers. Depending on the student’s interests and experience, contributions can relate to conceptual modelling and/or coding. Some experience with or prior knowledge of Netlogo or other ABM software is considered a plus.