Policy Note: Digital Feedback-Based Interventions for Water Conservation

Kris Hartley (), Nicole Sher Wen Lim () and Cecilia Tortajada
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Kris Hartley: Department of Asian and Policy Studies, Faculty of Liberal Arts and Social Sciences, The Education University of Hong Kong, 10 Lo Ping Road, Tai Po, Hong Kong SAR
Nicole Sher Wen Lim: #x2020;Department of Psychology, Faculty of Arts and Social Sciences, National University of Singapore, The Shaw Foundation Building, Block AS7, Level 5, 5 Arts Link, Singapore 117570, Singapore
Cecilia Tortajada: #x2021;School of Interdisciplinary Studies, University of Glasgow, Institute of Water Policy, Lee Kuan Yew School of Public Policy, National University of Singapore Glasgow G12 8QQ, U.K.

Water Economics and Policy (WEP), 2021, vol. 07, issue 01, 1-23

Abstract: Progress in water conservation is dependent as much on human behavior as on the promise of new technologies. Digital feedback-based interventions present an opportunity to bring these two factors together, as increasingly sophisticated technologies can help change behaviors rather than simply solving problems caused by those behaviors. This paper explores the various options and opportunities for adopting feedback-based interventions — those that communicate information for the purpose of encouraging individuals to alter water consumption habits. Lessons proposed are applicable to any realm in which individual human behavior contributes to a collective environmental or social problem. Focusing on five determinants of success (design, delivery, content, integration, and commitment), this paper presents findings of related studies and fashions them into a suite of recommendations that serves as a template for practice and agenda for future research. The underlying theme — that technology is no absolute substitute for behavioral change but can be one catalyst for it — contributes to broader discussions about the relationship between human systems and the environment.

Keywords: Smart water management; digital feedback; water conservation; sustainability; public policy (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2021
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DOI: 10.1142/S2382624X20710046

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