Consumer Perceptions of Water-Saving Devices in Water-Scarce Regions.

In light of climate change, population growth and urbanization, water resources are under severe pressure like never before. Many developing and even developed countries around the world have suffered from water scarcity, with more to come if no management actions take place. In response to these pressures, governments and water authorities have shifted from supply-side to demand-side policies. Pricing and non-pricing policies are the two main categories for managing the demand for water. Many studies have shown the inadequacy of pricing policies to reduce consumption due to the inelasticity of demand related to price. Hence, the trend in managing water resources has focused on non-pricing policies. Of these is the installation of water-saving devices, which can save up to 50% of water consumption. To date, remarkably, studies on the adoption of such devices are limited. This is attributed to the fact that the acquisition of data for this type of study is limited. Therefore, the purpose of this paper is to fill this gap by understanding the perception of water consumers about water-saving devices; the belief being that policy makers and water authorities need to better understand the perception of consumers of such tools before applying them. The research was undertaken in one of the poorest countries in terms of water resources by conducting a questionnaire-based survey of the water situation in Amman, the capital city of Jordan. A binary logistic model was developed based on the attributes of water consumers in Amman. Results suggest that as the amount of the water bill increases, the tendency to appreciate water-saving devices will decrease. On the other hand, those who are not willing to respond to water-demand management policies were found to be less recognizing of the importance of water-saving devices compared to those who are willing to respond to such policies. The study suggests that media and educational campaigns should be utilized to increase public awareness of water-saving devices. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]