The Sacramento-San Joaquin Delta Conflict: Chicken or Prisoner's Dilemma?

摘要

California's San Francisco Bay-Delta has been a source of conflict among the Delta water users for more than 70 years. During this period, different stakeholders including water exporters, farmers, cities, and environmentalists have been bargaining about whether and how to transfer water from the Delta. The number of involved stakeholders, the fundamental opposition of interests among the users, and the continuous evolution of the Delta in response to human activities have made this conflict complex and unique. Application of game theory in studying the Delta conflict provides some policy insights useful for managing the Delta and finding solutions which can resolve the conflict. In this study we use game.theory to explain why the parties have failed to come up with a compromise solution over a long period. It is also discussed whether the conflict can be resolved if the problem structure remains the same.