Abstract for: Water Management to Improve Resilience of Food Production: System Dynamics Approach for Greater Adelaide

In many parts of the world, water management is a crucial concern. Simultaneously, local food production has been proposed to improve food supply security in some regions. This study investigates the conflict between food security and the need for reduced water consumption. The question is whether local food production can have an impact on water availability, particularly during droughts. The cause and effect in the water resource-agriculture system in Adelaide was modeled using system dynamics until 2050. The model included four water-saving policies to investigate their effects. The results showed that a scenario involving more recycled water and food waste would mitigate the water crisis during droughts (~17%). While the food supply chain would continue to rely on imports from outside of the region. On the other hand, usage of recycled water (particularly in-house recycling) depends on the amount of subsidize on their capital costs.