Reducing Water Consumption: Why You Care What Your Neighbours Think
Water usage in domestic environments has risen dramatically in the past century, and maintaining access to fresh water is increasingly becoming a major concern, especially in areas prone to droughts. The particular crisis of water scarcity is considered one of the most important issues facing policy makers today. This is the case especially for countries and regions affected by drought, including California in the U.S. and over 50% of India, which is in a critical ‘water-stressed’ area (World Resources Institute, 2015).
This precarious scenario could be dealt with via two potential solutions: increase the amount of freshwater available or decrease the demand for it. As many urban areas of the world lack the ability to increase the supply of fresh water (in some cases resulting in water rationing in Brazil, Colombia, USA, India), the most realistic option is to encourage consumers to conserve water themselves. However, this may be easier said than done.
Changing consumption behavior, and changing people’s behavior in general, is a complex task. Policies designed to do this can often result in inaction, regardless of whether that individual believes it is important to save water at home or not. Many strategies have been introduced, with varying degrees of success, to try and encourage people to decrease water usage in their homes, but which techniques are the most effective in changing people’s behavior?
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About the Author
Kit Slatford
Kit completed her BSc in Psychology at the University of Leeds, and is currently studying a Masters in Environmental Psychology at the University of Groningen. She is currently researching public acceptability of geothermal energy in relation to people's values. Specifically, she is focusing on what information people attend to when learning about new renewable energy sources, which allows her to work with energy companies to help them design effective campaigns.
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