Evolution of Game Theory Application in Irrigation Systems

Agriculture is the largest consumer of water. Since water demand for irrigational purposes is expected to rise and given the fact that freshwater is not an unlimited resource, conflicts about the use of water and allocation issues are becoming more intense. The present paper examines the potential for water conflict when water consumption for irrigation takes place. In order to contribute to the discussion on this issue, game theory is used as a platform that provides predictions about strategies of irrigation followed by stakeholders. Previously published research work on game theory applications analyzing agricultural water rights is reviewed. The paper also discusses the nature and characteristics of selected games. The goal of this article is to highlight the evolution of game theory application in irrigation and contribute to the discussion about resolving resource conflicts generated by irrigated agriculture. The results of this analysis may be appreciated by policy makers for creative problem solving about water use in the field of irrigation management.