scholarly journals Barriers to Adoption of Water-Saving Habits in Residential Buildings in Hong Kong

2019 ◽  
Vol 11 (7) ◽  
pp. 2036
Author(s):  
Ying Zhao ◽  
Yani Bao ◽  
Wai Lee
Keyword(s):  
Hong Kong ◽  
Fresh Water ◽  
Water Consumption ◽  
Water Conservation ◽  
Residential Buildings ◽  
Water Saving ◽  
Water Users ◽  
The World ◽  
The Government ◽  
Questionnaire Surveys

The fresh water supply is finite, but the fresh water demand is infinite. A sustainable supply of fresh water is emerging as one of the most critical resource issues in the world. Hong Kong is one of the highest per capita fresh water users in the world. This has led to many government initiatives to promote water-saving habits in Hong Kong. However, after almost a decade of efforts, there has been no obvious reduction in consumption. Little has been done to identify the reason for this. Through the use of questionnaire surveys, site measurements, and controlled experiments, the aim of this study is to investigate the level of adoption of different water-saving habits, the most influential water-saving habits, and the barriers to the adoption of water-saving habits in residential buildings in Hong Kong. It was found that if the policies are targeted to break the identified barriers, then there is a potential for reducing the total domestic fresh water consumption in Hong Kong by 14.7%. It was also found that the knowledge of water scarcity and good water use habits are not the barriers to the adoption of water-saving habits in Hong Kong households. Rather, the government should draw public’s attention to the environmental impact of water usage and the high fresh water consumption level of Hong Kong people to break the knowledge barrier and should re-examine the water tariff to break the motivation barrier. The results of this study provide useful information for decision makers in the context of water conservation in Hong Kong as well as elsewhere in the world.

scholarly journals Persepsi Masyarakat Terhadap Ekosistem Daerah Aliran Sungai Ayung Menuju Sumberdaya Air Berkelanjutan

2016 ◽  
Vol 16 (2) ◽  
pp. 78
Author(s):  
I Made Sudarma ◽  
Wayan Widyantara
Keyword(s):  
Water Resources ◽  
River Water ◽  
Water Conservation ◽  
Public Perception ◽  
Water System ◽  
Ecosystem Functions ◽  
Conservation Action ◽  
Water Users ◽  
The Government ◽  
And Behavior

The sustainability of watershed ecosystem functions in managing the water system can be achieved if the utilization pattern of their territories in accordance with the rules of conservation. A decrease in quantity and quality of the river water can be an indicator that condition of the watershed have been damaged. The destruction of the watershed ecosystem as a result of various causes will be able to threaten supply of sustainable water resources. The aim of this research is to determine and analyze the perceptions and behavior of upstream communities and governments about the function and role of water conservation and watershed in their behavior in the preservation of the watershed and its relationship with the current condition of the Ayung river. The study was conducted in the area upstream of Ayung river, which is in the Belok Sidan and Plaga Village, Petang, Badung, stake holder water users Ayung River such as PDAM, AMDK, rafting and farmers, as well as the government of Badung Regency that responsible for the management and conservation of Ayung River. Results of the study found that the public perception of the functions and benefits of watershed in the conservation of water resources classified in the category of high, but was followed by actions or attitudes in the medium category. There was no real relationship between perception and action, but the action affect current watershed conditions. The role and participation of stakeholders Ayung River water users were still relatively low in the preservation of the watershed, while the government's role classified as medium has not been done in an integrated among sectors and regions. From the results of this study it is recommended that the preservation of the Ayung river through various conservation action were integrated by involving communities upstream more active through the empowerment of local knowledge and improve their welfare. Government plays an important role in moving towards unity of this act.

Analysis on the Technological Advantages of Domestic Seawater

2015 ◽  
Vol 737 ◽  
pp. 692-695
Author(s):  
Shu Xun Wang ◽  
Ying Xia Miao ◽  
Jian An Hao ◽  
Jing Wang ◽  
Yu Shan Zhang
Keyword(s):  
Hong Kong ◽  
Economic Analysis ◽  
Fresh Water ◽  
Tap Water ◽  
Water Saving ◽  
Recycled Water ◽  
Toilet Flushing

The principle of domestic seawater technology is to replace fresh water by seawater. This paper introduces the features and demonstration scale of domestic seawater technology. Considering the successful seawater toilet-flushing in Hong Kong, comparison and economic analysis on the cases of seawater, recycled water and tap water are done. The result shows domestic seawater technology is an economical and efficient water saving technology.

scholarly journals Spatio-Temporal Mapping of Water Consumption at Public Institutions: Case of the United Arab Emirates University

2019 ◽  
Vol 1 ◽  
pp. 1-1
Author(s):  
M. M. Yagoub ◽  
Tareefa AlSumaiti ◽  
Latifa Ebrahim ◽  
Yaqein Ahmed ◽  
Rauda Abdulla
Keyword(s):  
United Arab Emirates ◽  
Water Consumption ◽  
Water Conservation ◽  
Residential Buildings ◽  
Tap Water ◽  
Public Institutions ◽  
Least Square ◽  
United Arab Emirates University ◽  
The University ◽  
Water Issues

<p><strong>Abstract.</strong> The United Arab Emirates (UAE) faces water scarcity. Yet, the UAE is one of the highest countries in the per capita water consumption. The United Arab Emirates University (UAEU) is one of the biggest public institutions in the country. On average, the water costs the university annually around two million dirhams. In this study, indoor water consumption at the UAEU is assessed for the period 2016&amp;ndash;2017. Geographic Information System (GIS) is utilized to answer where water is highly consumed within the university (hot spots), when (time), who consume it, why (causes), and how to minimize consumption. It assembles diverse data reside at various departments to gain a better knowledge about the broad patterns of water consumption in the university. The assumption made here is that water consumption is directly proportional to population density and less during winter. The highest water consumption is found at the College of Information Technology (CIT) and this is due to its size and heterogeneity of its activities. The relationship between water consumption and number of students is modeled using least square. The results indicated low correlation between water consumption and number of students. This may be due to the centralized usage of buildings and movement of students between buildings. Temporal variation showed sharp decrease during July of 2016 and 2017 irrespective of the building type/size and this is associated with summer holidays. The hypothesis of activity-driven consumption showed that the highest water consumption is found at residential buildings due to the longer stay time at hostels. The library showed consistent low water consumption. It is interesting to deduce the library usage while investigating water consumption, but it is a lesson that water consumption could be used as a proxy to reveal number of users at buildings. The water consumption at UAEU is benchmarked with other institutes in UAE and abroad. The result from this study identified sites with the highest water consumption and this could be used to adapt water conservation techniques at these sites. A survey was conducted to understand the students’ water consumption behavior, know their willingness to use water conservation methods, and measure their awareness level related to water issues in UAE. The results revealed that half of the respondents are not aware of the water issues. Majority of respondents prefer to drink bottled water than tap water. Majority of respondents are not willing to use grey water or urinals as ways to conserve water due to the lack of knowledge and some physiological reasons. Yet, they are willing to take course designed to teach them how to conserve water and to participate in competitions that reward them for having lower water consumption at hostels.</p>

scholarly journals Barriers and opportunities for behavior change in managing high water demand in water scarce Indigenous communities: an Australian perspective

2019 ◽  
Vol 9 (4) ◽  
pp. 765-773
Author(s):  
Safaa Aldirawi ◽  
Regina Souter ◽  
Cara D. Beal
Keyword(s):  
Behavior Change ◽  
Water Use ◽  
Water Consumption ◽  
Water Conservation ◽  
Water Demand ◽  
Indigenous Communities ◽  
High Water ◽  
Indigenous Community ◽  
Water Users ◽  
Household Water

Abstract Managing water demand by reducing water consumption and improving water use efficiency has become essential for ensuring water security. This research aimed to identify the primary determinants of household water consumption in an Australian Indigenous community to develop evidence-based water demand management policies and strategies that might be implemented by the water service provider. A behavior change framework was applied to investigate the opportunity, ability, and motivational determinants affecting household water consumption and conservation in an Australian Indigenous community. The lack of water conservation knowledge and skills of high water users could be barriers to saving water. Low water users have positive attitudes towards water conservation and a higher level of awareness about their own water use. While there is a lack of a belief that water shortages will occur, low water users do have concerns of vulnerability to droughts, and that could be a driver for their sense of obligation to engage in water conservation practices. The research recommended communication messages and tools to address identified barriers to enabling positive changes to water use behaviors, which have wider applications in remote Australian Indigenous communities.

scholarly journals Assessment of water-saving equipment to support the urban management of water

RBRH ◽  
2017 ◽  
Vol 22 (0) ◽  
Author(s):  
Juliana Karla da Silva ◽  
Luiz Gustavo Costa Ferreira Nunes ◽  
Anna Elis Paz Soares ◽  
Simone Rosa da Silva
Keyword(s):  
Water Management ◽  
Water Consumption ◽  
Water Conservation ◽  
Economic Impacts ◽  
Return Time ◽  
Water Saving ◽  
The Past ◽  
Per Capita ◽  
Water Volumes ◽  
Drought Effects

ABSTRACT The objective of this study was to analyze the environmental and economic impacts of the implementation of water-saving equipment in residences in the municipality of Caruaru-PE as a measure of water conservation and mitigation of the drought effects that have been devastating the region along the past five years. For this purpose, eight neighborhoods were selected and their populations were estimated along the years of 2015 and 2035. Subsequently, the water consumption per capita, water volumes consumed with the use of conventional sanitary equipment and with the use of water-saving equipment were calculated, obtaining the volume of water saved. For the estimates of cost for the services and material required for the installation of water-saving equipment, tables of price compositions for budgets were consulted and adapted. The results demonstrated that it is possible to save up to 40% of consumed water only with the implementation of water-saving equipment, with a mean return time of six and a half years. Therefore, it is possible to understand that the use of water-saving equipment represents an important instrument of water management.

Nationality vs ethnic identity

2018 ◽  
Vol 7 (2) ◽  
pp. 223-233
Author(s):  
Frank Ching
Keyword(s):  
Hong Kong ◽  
Chinese Government ◽  
Special Importance ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Ethnic Chinese ◽  
The World ◽  
The Status ◽  
The Difference ◽  
The Government ◽  
Nationality Law

Purpose As far as governments are concerned, it is the nationality of a person, usually reflected in a passport, that shows whether the government has a duty to protect that individual and whether the person owes obligations to the state. Hong Kong is unusual in that for many people there, passports are primarily seen as documents that offer safety and security. It is not unusual for people to possess two or more passports. The purpose of this paper is to examine attitudes toward passports on the part of Hong Kong people, formed by their unique experience. Design/methodology/approach This paper analyzes key documents, such as China’s Nationality Law and a little known document, “Explanations of Some Questions by the Standing Committee of the National People’s Congress Concerning the Implementation of the Nationality Law of the People’s Republic of China in the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region.” The paper also looks at the Loh case of August 2016, involving a Canadian man who wanted a Hong Kong passport for his 11-year-old Canadian-born son, and the Patrick Tse case, where Hong Kong tried to strip a teenager who possessed German nationality of his Hong Kong passport. Findings The convenience of travel to China with a Home Return Permit seems to outweigh any sense of loyalty to an adopted country in the west, or the realization that the use of a document identifying its holder as a Chinese national means that she/he would not have any consular protection. It is also ironical that the Hong Kong Government should maintain the difference between nationality and ethnicity at a time when the Chinese Government is doing the very opposite, playing down the status of nationality while magnifying the importance of so-called “Chinese blood.” Originality/value This paper examines a topic that has not been widely studied but is likely to become more important in the years to come as China’s impact on the rest of the world increases. The nationality status of ethnic Chinese will increasingly become an issue as the flow of travel between China and other countries rises and Chinese immigrants continue to take up foreign nationality. While this issue is of special importance to Hong Kong, its impact will extend to countries around the world, in fact, to wherever Chinese persons are to be found.

scholarly journals Social Norms Based Eco-Feedback for Household Water Consumption

2021 ◽  
Vol 13 (5) ◽  
pp. 2796
Author(s):  
Ukasha Ramli
Keyword(s):  
Social Norms ◽  
Field Experiment ◽  
Water Consumption ◽  
Water Scarcity ◽  
Water Conservation ◽  
Habit Formation ◽  
Sustainable Consumption ◽  
Feedback Intervention ◽  
Household Water ◽  
The World

Physical water scarcity is a growing threat to people’s lives around the world. Non-pecuniary interventions that encourage water conservation amongst households are an effective tool to promote sustainable consumption. In a randomised field experiment on 3461 UK households, a social norms based eco-feedback intervention was found to reduce water consumption by around 5.43 L a day or by 1.8% over 29 months. This effect did not persist for the 10 months after the intervention was stopped suggesting a lack of habit formation. Unlike previous studies, households with low consumption at baseline reduced their consumption the most, while high consumers did not. Heterogeneity was also found across quantile treatment effects, where households in the top and bottom quantiles increased their consumption. These results further contribute to the growing evidence on the effectiveness of combining social norms and eco-feedback as an intervention for conservation.

scholarly journals KAJIAN PENERAPAN PRINSIP WATER CONSERVATION SESUAI STANDAR GREENSHIP NEW BUILDING VERSI 1.2 STUDI KASUS: GEDUNG P1 DAN P2 UNIVERSITAS KRISTEN PETRA SURABAYA

2018 ◽  
Vol 5 (2) ◽  
pp. 9-16
Author(s):  
Steviani Dewi Teddy ◽  
Jimmy Priatman ◽  
Nugroho Susilo
Keyword(s):  
Water Conservation ◽  
Rainwater Harvesting ◽  
Green Building ◽  
Water Saving ◽  
Water Crisis ◽  
Original Design ◽  
Grey Water ◽  
Christian University ◽  
World Energy ◽  
The World

Isu green building dewasa ini menjadi sangat penting untuk diterapkan. Alasan utamanya adalah karena bangunan mengkonsumsi begitu banyak sumber daya alam, di tengah-tengah krisis energi dan air yang sedang melanda dunia. Penelitian ini dimaksudkan untuk mengetahui seberapa besar penghematan air yang dapat dicapai oleh gedung P1 dan P2 dengan menerapkan konsep penggunaan fitur hemat air, rainwater harvesting, serta daur ulang grey water. Penghematan ini berkaitan dengan jumlah poin yang berpotensi diperoleh gedung P1 dan P2 untuk credit WAC 1 sampai dengan WAC 6 menurut Greenship New Building Versi 1.2.   Untuk memprediksi penggunaan air di gedung P1 dan P2, dilaksanakan survei melalui kuesioner. Pengguna gedung P, W, dan T Universitas Kristen Petra Surabaya dipilih secara acak sebagai responden. Dari hasil kajian, desain asli gedung P1 dan P2 berpotensi memperoleh 17 poin untuk kategori water conservation dari total 20 poin. Usulan-usulan diberikan untuk menyempurnakan desain gedung P1 dan P2 sehingga bisa mencapai perolehan 20 poin maksimum.   Nowadays, green building issue has become very important. The main reason is that buildings consume much of natural resources, in the middle of world energy and water crisis which is happening around the world. The goal of this research is to find out how much water saving that P1 and P2 building can achieve by applying the concepts of water saving fixture usage, rainwater harvesting, and grey water recycling. This saving is related to how many points that bulding can potentially achieve for WAC 1 to WAC 6 credit according to Greenship for New Building version 1.2 standard.   To predict water consumption at P1 and P2 buildings, a questionnaire survey was conducted. Occupants of P, W, and T buildings of Petra Christian University Surabaya were randomly chosen as respondents. As the result of this research, P1 and P2 building original design is potential to achieve 17 points out of total 20 points. Suggestions are proposed to perfect the design of P1 and P2 building in order to achieve maximum 20 points.

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