Water conservation education as a tool to empower water users to reduce water use

2015 ◽  
Vol 16 (1) ◽  
pp. 202-207 ◽  
Author(s):  
L. Hoy ◽  
S. Stelli
Keyword(s):  
South Africa ◽  
Water Use ◽  
Water Conservation ◽  
Limited Resource ◽  
Conservation Education ◽  
Conservation Strategies ◽  
Human Consumption ◽  
Awareness Campaigns ◽  
Water Users ◽  
Education And Awareness

There is a finite supply of global fresh water available for human consumption, which is in great demand from both humans and the environment. As technology and populations increase, so do the demands and pressure on this limited resource. Demand far too often outstrips supply, requiring authorities to impose restrictions on water use. Recent research undertaken by Rand Water, in the Rand Water supply area (in and around Gauteng, South Africa) points to the desire from end users to be empowered with knowledge to make their own decisions on water use reduction, rather than to have authoritative restrictions imposed on them. This observation indicates the importance of water conservation education and awareness campaigns to facilitate the reduction in water consumption by consumers, and suggests that education is a priority in the implementation of water conservation strategies.

Social Media Use for Water Conservation Education in South Africa: Perceptions of Raymond Mhlaba Local Municipality’s Residents

2019 ◽  
Vol 55 (3) ◽  
pp. 351-369 ◽  
Author(s):  
Charity Hove ◽  
Oluyinka O Osunkunle
Keyword(s):  
South Africa ◽  
Social Media ◽  
Water Conservation ◽  
Conservation Education ◽  
Conservation Practices ◽  
Quantitative Methodology ◽  
Media Usage ◽  
Persuasive Strategies ◽  
Social Media Platforms ◽  
Use Of Social Media

Water scarcity is increasing in South Africa and communities need to be educated about water conservation practices. This article investigated the perceptions of Raymond Mhlaba Local Municipality’s residents concerning the use of social media for water conservation education in their community. Through a quantitative methodology, a sample of 383 respondents answered a questionnaire and the main findings were that 75 per cent of respondents did not know about the municipality’s social media platforms. This article recommends that the municipality creates awareness about its social media platforms, increases social media usage and employs persuasive strategies for participation.

scholarly journals Effectiveness of Focused Water Conservation Messaging in the Clackamas River, OR

2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Rikki Oden
Keyword(s):  
Drinking Water ◽  
Water Use ◽  
Water Conservation ◽  
Public Perception ◽  
Group Discussion ◽  
Water Source ◽  
Dry Season ◽  
Low Flow ◽  
Drinking Water Source ◽  
Water Users

The Clackamas River in Oregon is a drinking water source for upwards of 300,000 people living in the Portland metro region. This river experiences seasonal low flow during the annual dry season throughout summer and early fall when endangered salmon species return to the river to spawn. This dry season also coincides with the highest period of urban water use. Since precipitation is minimal at this time, water users choose to water their lawns to make up for the lack of rain which contributes to water use tripling during the driest part of the year. To promote local water conservation, the Clackamas River Water Providers (CRWP)—who manage source water protection and public outreach and education around watershed issues, drinking water, and water conservation for the eight water providers on the river—have created a water conservation campaign that they intend to promote each dry season for the next several years. First promoted during the dry season of 2019, the messaging focuses on the flow needs of endangered salmon and asks water users to cease outdoor watering altogether. Through focus group discussion and a survey of water users, this research investigates public perception and opinion of the CRWP’s summer water conservation messaging campaign with the goal of improving the effectiveness of the messaging in future dry seasons.

scholarly journals An Investigation of the Level of E-health Literacy in South Africa

10.29007/jjrb ◽  
2019 ◽  
Author(s):  
Dolly Posiliti ◽  
Liezel Cilliers
Keyword(s):  
South Africa ◽  
Health Literacy ◽  
Health Information ◽  
Health Resources ◽  
Final Analysis ◽  
Literacy Skills ◽  
Research Approach ◽  
South Africans ◽  
Awareness Campaigns ◽  
Education And Awareness

E-health resources are widely used in the healthcare field, by health professionals, patients and the general public. However, to utilise e-health resources an individual needs to possess the basic e-health literacy skills that will enable them to process health information effectively. E-health literacy consists of six basic literacy skills namely tradi- tional and numeracy skills, computer, media, science, in-formation and health literacy skills that individuals need to possess in order to use e-health resources effectively. The concept of e-health literacy is a growing field of research worldwide but has lacked investigation in South Africa. This paper investigated the level of e-health literacy skills of South Africans. The study made use of a qualitative, inductive research approach and a structured literature review to identify the relevant academic studies that have been done in South Africa. Eleven studies were included in the final analysis. The study found that only parts of the e-health literacy skills have been investigated in South Africa, and it was concluded that South Africans have limited skills that enable them to seek health information independently. The study recommends that the lev-el of e-health literacy among South African be improved through education and awareness campaigns that highlight the importance of taking control of owns health in order to improve the health of all South Africans.

Conceptualizing trade-offs of water conservation strategies and unintended consequences using a system dynamics approach

2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Vincent Odongo ◽  
Giuliano Di Baldassarre ◽  
Maurizio Mazzoleni
Keyword(s):  
Water Use ◽  
Water Conservation ◽  
Agricultural Land ◽  
Unintended Consequences ◽  
Conservation Strategies ◽  
Cropping Patterns ◽  
Rebound Effects ◽  
Agricultural Water Use ◽  
Trade Offs ◽  
Use Efficiency

<p>Improving water use efficiency in agriculture is a key strategy in reducing water scarcity, especially during drought seasons. However, the benefits of these water saving strategies can be reduced if farmers switch to more profitable and water consuming crops or increasing irrigable area, i.e. rebound effects. These feedbacks will likely offset the water savings benefits and subsequently intensify agricultural water use. Here we propose a new system dynamic model that represents the interactions and feedback loops between hydrological and social processes to explore rebound effects by analysing competing water needs for both urban and agricultural allocation. The model is then used to explore the dynamics of different mitigation policy options to alleviate the phenomenon: (i) Restricting water allocation (ii) Limiting size of agricultural land (iii) Changing cropping patterns (iv) Deficit irrigation.</p><p> </p>

Application of “R” principles to enhance the efficiency of water usage in construction sites

2017 ◽  
Vol 7 (4) ◽  
pp. 400-412 ◽  
Author(s):  
K.G.A.S. Waidyasekara ◽  
Lalith De Silva ◽  
Raufdeen Rameezdeen
Keyword(s):  
Water Use Efficiency ◽  
Case Studies ◽  
Water Use ◽  
Water Conservation ◽  
Conservation Strategies ◽  
Water Usage ◽  
Construction Operations ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Conservation Measures ◽  
Use Efficiency

Purpose Water conservationists have been promoting a hierarchy of measures to preserve water resources in the face of decreasing freshwater availability in the world. However, applicability of water hierarchy to the construction industry is yet to be investigated. To fill this knowledge gap, the purpose of this paper is to investigate water usage, water use efficiency, and conservation measures relevant to the construction operations. Design/methodology/approach A triangulation-based mixed-methods approach was adopted for the collection and analysis of data. First, four case studies were carried out to explore the current practices and the possibilities of applying the water hierarchy to the construction operations. This was followed by a questionnaire survey, administered among construction professionals to obtain their views and to verify the findings of case studies. Findings Strategies such as reuse and recycling were found to be less applicable and least preferred by the construction professionals compared to reduce, replace, and eliminate. Based on the research findings, three enabling measures, namely, regulation, responsibility, and reward, were found to enhance the effectiveness of these conservation strategies. Practical implications Knowledge on preferences of different water conservation measures among the construction professionals and their effectiveness on construction site could help the construction companies to device strategies to mitigate water wastage and enhance water use efficiency. It could also help policy-makers to develop guidelines that would have higher probability of acceptance among construction stakeholders. Originality/value The study proposes an extended water hierarchy (3R.6R) by integrating three enabling measures discussed above for the construction project sites.

scholarly journals Persistent Droughts and Water Scarcity: Households’ Perceptions and Practices in Makhanda, South Africa

Land ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 10 (6) ◽  
pp. 593
Author(s):  
Avela Pamla ◽  
Gladman Thondhlana ◽  
Sheunesu Ruwanza
Keyword(s):  
South Africa ◽  
Water Supply ◽  
Water Use ◽  
Water Scarcity ◽  
Water Conservation ◽  
Conservation Practices ◽  
Household Surveys ◽  
Municipal Planning ◽  
Municipal Authority ◽  
Water Use Practices

Households in many cities worldwide consume substantial amounts of water, but increasing aridity will result in serious water supply challenges in the future. In South Africa, droughts are now a common phenomenon, with severe implications on water supply for urban households. Developing interventions to minimise the impacts of drought requires understanding of users’ perceptions of water scarcity, water use practices, and participation in water conservation practices. Using household surveys across different income groups (low, medium, and high) in Makhanda, South Africa, this study investigates households’ perceptions of water scarcity, water use, and conservation practices as a basis for designing pathways for sustainable water use practices. Results indicate that a substantial proportion of households were aware of water scarcity and attributed it to poor municipal planning rather than drought and wasteful use practices. Households reported good water use behaviour, but wasteful practices (e.g., regular flushing of toilets) were evident. Gender, age, education, and environmental awareness influenced water use practices, but the relationships were generally weak. Households participated in water conservation measures but felt the local municipal authority lagged in addressing water supply challenges. The implications of the study are discussed.

scholarly journals Integrating Stakeholder Input into Water Policy Development and Analysis

2008 ◽  
Vol 40 (2) ◽  
pp. 465-471 ◽  
Author(s):  
Bridget Guerrero ◽  
Steve Amosson ◽  
Lal Almas
Keyword(s):  
Population Growth ◽  
Water Use ◽  
Water Conservation ◽  
Policy Development ◽  
Water Policy ◽  
Conservation Strategies ◽  
Agricultural Water ◽  
Stakeholder Groups ◽  
Agricultural Water Use ◽  
Stakeholder Input

Agricultural water use is becoming an issue in much of the South due to population growth. Results of projects evaluating the impacts of conservation strategies aimed at reallocating or extending the life of water supplies are being met with great skepticism by stakeholder groups. In order to gain acceptance of results, it is essential that stakeholder groups be involved from the beginning in the identification of potential water conservation strategies and be kept informed throughout the project. The objective of this paper is to review previous attempts at involving stakeholders and the methodology currently being employed in the Ogallala Aquifer Project.

Identification of groundwater recharge areas for improving regional water conservation: application example of water use funds in Brazil

2008 ◽  
Vol 3 (3) ◽  
Author(s):  
N.W. Dias ◽  
C.E. Anjos ◽  
H.N. Diniz ◽  
M.S. Targa
Keyword(s):  
Groundwater Recharge ◽  
Water Use ◽  
Water Conservation ◽  
Infiltration Capacity ◽  
Recharge Area ◽  
Research Project ◽  
Hydrographic Basin ◽  
Water Users ◽  
Regional Water ◽  
Paraíba Do Sul River

This article presents the results of a research project funded by the Paraiba do Sul Hydrographic Basin Committee with funds obtained through charging water users in this basin. The objective of this project is to develop a series of geospatial geologic information layers and a sequence of hydrogeologic analysis to determine the location of groundwater recharge areas in the basin for future conservation purposes. The results indicate eleven areas with most interaction among lineament characteristics, fracture bundles, and higher fracture densities. These areas should be considered as having higher percolation quality and infiltration capacity, therefore areas with higher potential for groundwater recharge. The results also show that the sedimentary region is the most important groundwater recharge area in the Paraiba do Sul river valley.

scholarly journals Predicting impacts of water conservation with a stochastic sewer model

2019 ◽  
Vol 80 (11) ◽  
pp. 2148-2157 ◽  
Author(s):  
O. Bailey ◽  
T. C. Arnot ◽  
E. J. M. Blokker ◽  
Z. Kapelan ◽  
J. A. M. H. Hofman
Keyword(s):  
Water Use ◽  
Water Conservation ◽  
Oxygen Demand ◽  
Conservation Strategies ◽  
Quality Model ◽  
Water Region ◽  
Household Water ◽  
Discharge Patterns ◽  
The Uk ◽  
Scenario Testing

Abstract Population growth and climate change put a strain on water resources; hence, there are growing initiatives to reduce water use. Reducing household water use will likely reduce sewer input. This work demonstrates the use of a stochastic sewer model to quantify the effect water conservation has on sewer hydraulics and wastewater concentration. Probabilistic discharge patterns have been developed using SIMDEUM WW® and fed into hydraulic modelling software InfoWorks ICM® to produce likely flow and quality profiles for five future water use scenarios. The scenarios tested were developed to outline how commercial and political factors may change water use in future. Scenario testing revealed that 15–60% water reduction reflected a 1–48% drop in the morning peak flow. The water use reduction was predicted to increase wastewater concentrations of chemical oxygen demand (COD), total Kjeldahl nitrogen (TKN) and total phosphorus (TPH) by 55–180%, 19–116% and 30–206% respectively. The sewer flow model was developed, calibrated and validated using a case study in the Wessex Water region of the UK and all future scenarios were compared to the validated baseline case. This wastewater flow and quality model allows scenario testing, which could help redesign future sewer networks to better prepare for water conservation strategies.

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