Multi-Agent Based Simulation of Environmental Pollution Issues: A Review

Abstract

Environmental issues, specifically pollution are considered as major concerns in many cities in the world. They have a direct influence on our health and quality of life. The use of computers models can help to forecast the impact of human activities on ecosystem equilibrium. We are interested in the use of MAS (Multi-Agent System) for modelling and simulating the environmental issues related to pollution. In this paper, we present a review of recent studies using a MAS approach for designing environmental pollution simulation models. Interactions between the three components of the environmental problem (Social, Economic and Ecological) are presented. On the light of these interactions, studies published from 2009 to 2013 are reviewed. Models are presented in terms of: model's purpose, studied variables, used data, representation of space and time, decision-making mechanism and implementation. © Springer International Publishing Switzerland 2014.