Towards public acceptability of water conservation interventions: Understanding water literacy among the general public
Should the current trajectory continue, England faces a deficit of nearly 5 billion litres of freshwater per day by 2050. The water industry acknowledges that technology alone cannot alleviate this crisis and has urgently called for behavioural scientists to address this challenge; new, innovative demand-side behaviour change interventions targeting domestic water consumption behaviour are required, as current approaches show limited long-term success.
For interventions to be effective, they must be acceptable to the UK public. Acceptability of water conservation interventions will likely be shaped by the public’s ‘water literacy’ - i.e., knowledge, attitudes, and behaviours related to water use. This PhD will develop a robust, quantitative measure of water literacy, examining how water literacy influences acceptability of conservation interventions and willingness to adhere to water-saving guidance. It will also identify key predictors and socio-demographic factors that shape literacy, and gaps in public understanding of water use and conservation, furthering theory and evidence in this area.
Studies include: a systematic review of research on attitudes to water conservation; thematic analysis of public responses to water scarcity issues; quantitative analysis of survey data to validate the water literacy framework; and developing and testing messaging strategies to promote water literacy as a crucial step towards public endorsement of conservation interventions.
Working closely with an established stakeholder network to ensure findings inform industry practices and policies to protect water supply, water companies, NGOs and policymakers will be equipped with evidence-based tools to develop impactful conservation interventions, helping the UK meet its water sustainability targets.