Agent-Based Case Studies for Understanding of Social-Ecological Systems: Cooperation on Irrigation in Bali - Advances in Social Simulation - page 296

Fig. 3. Schematic overview of our focus on within and between subak dynamics in modelling
cooperation of Bali irrigation. This is a variation on figure 2b, where the change in assumption
is visualised. Actors in a subak all know about the agreed 'rule' (dotted line) to take out x but
do not necessarily comply. The amount (y or z) taken out is influence by the interaction with
other actors (social environment) too.

2 Modelling Subak Cooperation in Bali Irrigation

The aim of the model is to explain the differences in the ability of subak farmers to
collectively adapt through cooperation. The model should allow exploring factors
affecting self organisation within and between subaks. In parallel, the exercise of the
ABM case study aims to move abstract models (theory) closer to real world pheno-
mena, which requires contextualisation. Contextualisation describes a process of se-
lecting a suitable model, specifying, sometimes calibrating, testing and starting a new
design iteration: adapting a model, etc. This paper thus discusses the model design
stage with a focus on contextualization. This section will discuss the first steps, model
selection and specification for the Bali irrigation case.

2.1

Model Selection: Start of the Iterative Journey of Model Design

There exists a vast body of models explaining cooperation on a theoretical level
[14-16]. At the same time, ethnographical observations and descriptions of subak life
describe a richness of factors, actors and processes playing a role in the social cohe-
sion of a subak [6]. Our process of developing an ABM taps from both sources. We
choose to depart from a model of cooperation, the ostracism model [12, 13]. The rea-
sons for choosing this model are as follows: a) context relevant , this model of cooper-
ation is placed in the context of resource management, which matches the case
context of a social dilemma; b) social driver for cooperation is, which we regard im-
portant to describe the adaptive capacity of a community; c) allows for comparison.
The model is a replication of a theoretical model [12,13], which has advantages in
comparing and reflecting on the case-based outcomes; d) ownership, it is a model
created by one of us, which allows for short-links to interact about model specifics.