Sustainable Model: Recommendations for Water Conservation Strategies in a Developing Country Through a Psychosocial Wellness Program

Abstract

Human industrial activities are bringing physiochemical changes to the land, air, and seas and leading towards more uncertain climate changes, like drought, thunderstorms, and heat waves. This has resulted in water scarcity because of overexploitation of water resources. It is therefore imperative to develop effective conservation programs that consider the factors that affect the decisions of people with regard to water conservation and sustainable activities. This study considered the perspective of a developing country and explored the impact of three psychosocial factors, i.e., subjective happiness, perceived stress, and personal well-being, on individuals’ current and future intentions to conserve water. A sample of 304 respondents was collected via a self-administered questionnaire containing measures of demographic characteristics, psychological factors, and current and future water conservation behavior. The data were collected online as well as through hard copies. Correlational analysis showed that the three psychosocial factors had significant associations with both current and future intentions to conserve water. Furthermore, the effect size (f2) demonstrated that personal well-being was a significant predictor of current and future water conservation behavior. Stress, however, did not serve as a significant predictor of either current or future water conservation behavior. In contrast, subjective happiness was a significant predictor of only future water conservation behavior.

Socio-psychological determinants of Iranian rural households' adoption of water consumption curtailment behaviors

“…The results of hypothesis H6 indicated that MN was one of the effective factors for water consumption curtailment behavior in rural households in Iran. The research results of Warner and Diaz 4 , Savari et al 9 , Aslam et al 13 , Yazdanpanah et al 33 , Shahangian et al 48 , Gkargkavouzi et al 75 , Kumar Chaudhary et al 93 agree with this result. MN is the moral force and imperative to perform a certain behavior 4 .…”

“…Therefore, one of the most important challenges facing humanity in the twenty-first century is the reduction in the quantity and quality of water suitable for human consumption 10 , 11 . In the long run, water scarcity causes the level of water in nature to fall steadily below human needs, jeopardizing human and social development 12 , 13 . Several factors contribute to water scarcity, including population growth 13 – 15 , climate change 15 – 19 , human impacts 16 , 17 , and urbanization 17 .…”

“…In the long run, water scarcity causes the level of water in nature to fall steadily below human needs, jeopardizing human and social development 12 , 13 . Several factors contribute to water scarcity, including population growth 13 – 15 , climate change 15 – 19 , human impacts 16 , 17 , and urbanization 17 .…”

“…The MENA region constitutes nearly 6% of the world’s population and the annual average water availability per person in the region stands at only 1200 m 3 , almost six times less than the global average of 7000 m 3 20 . The main reason for this increase is the rising demand for water in developing countries and its use for domestic purposes 13 .…”

Evaluation and Spatial Equilibrium Analysis of High-Quality Development Level in Mainland China Considering Water Constraints

“…Water resources are strategic resources that support the development of the economy and society, and maintain a healthy ecosystem [9]. Its effective use can support HQD [10].…”