Understanding behaviour to inform water supply management in developed nations – A review of literature, conceptual model and research agenda

Abstract

Water is a scarce resource in many parts of the developed world. Two solutions are possible to address water scarcity: conservation of existing resources, or the further production of water from new sources e.g. through recycling of wastewater or desalination of seawater. However, the main hurdle to implementation of many of these solutions is often viewed as a lack of public willingness to adopt these alternative water behaviours. Research in this area is therefore crucial. Yet, and possibly due to the interdisciplinary nature of such research, there is currently no comprehensive overview of what has been done before. This study fills this gap by (1) choosing a general consumer behaviour perspective as a starting point, (2) developing a conceptual model of research required in the area of water-related public acceptance studies, (3) identifying eight key water-related behaviours which require future research attention, and (4) reviewing which areas of the conceptual model have been investigated in the past by conducting an extensive literature review of water-related social science research. The review established that the majority of work which has been conducted is located at the crossroads of personal characteristics and behavioural intentions. Significant gaps exist in relation to researching the adoption of a wide range of demand-side water behaviours. This indicates a dominance of supply-side solutions in social-research exploration. The review identifies a number of research needs including: the exploration of actual adoption of water-related behaviours (rather than behavioural intentions); and to widen the scope of water behaviour enquiry to include more demand-side solutions. Given the increasing scarcity of water in many areas of the world, addressing these identified gaps will be of significant importance. Thus our model informs the social-research agenda for water policy. The review established that the majority of work which has been conducted is located at the crossroads of personal characteristics and behavioural intentions. Significant gaps exist in relation to researching the adoption of a wide range of demand-side water behaviours. This indicates a dominance of supply-side solutions in social research exploration. The review identifies a number of research needs including: the exploration of actual adoption of water-related behaviours (rather than behavioural intentions); and to widen the scope of water behaviour enquiry to include more demand-side solutions.Given the increasing scarcity of water in many areas of the world, addressing these identified gaps will be of significant importance. Thus our model informs the social-research agenda for water policy.

Influential Factors on Pro-Environmental Behaviors—A Case Study in Tokyo and Seoul

“…Many studies are found in the fields of recycling [10][11][12][13][14], electricity saving [15][16][17][18][19], and water saving behaviors [20][21][22]. However, each study mainly focuses on one particular PEB, and studies comprehensively dealing with various PEBs are rarely found.…”

Perceptions of Water Ownership, Water Management, and the Responsibility of Providing Clean Water

“…This finding is somewhat inconsistent with other studies: a nationwide study of the US found that the majority of participants are aware of water scarcity issues and want to see reforms to improve these problems [48], which was similar to another study in Colorado [49]. Studies in Australia have found that individuals are only somewhat aware of water scarcity issues, and have found further education is needed to enhance public knowledge about water scarcity issues [50,51]. There is no known survey of Canadians' perceptions of water scarcity, therefore any direct comparison of the findings is not possible.…”

Assessing domestic water use habits for more effective water awareness campaigns during drought periods: a case study in Alicante, eastern Spain

“…If water awareness campaigns have to fulfill their potential and leave a longer imprint in the behavior of water users (Wang et al, 1999;Hurlimann et al, 2009;Saurí, 2013) it is fundamental that they take into account the dynamic residential and sociodemographic characteristics as well as the water use habits of the population targeted. Thus, it is crucial to ascertain whether recommendations for particular behaviors are grounded on a sound appraisal of existing water habits.…”

“…Behavioral change regarding water consumption is perhaps one of the most sought-after objectives of water conservation policies, especially during times of drought (Hurlimann et al, 2009;Jorgensen et al, 2009;Fielding at al., 2012). To this end, water planning and management must consider awareness campaigns as a tool to reduce water demand and therefore ease drought impacts as well as the pressures on the development of new water supply sources (Michelsen et al, 1999).…”