Obstacles and Opportunities for Water Conservation in Blagoevgrad, Bulgaria
Open Access
- Author:
- Clark, William Allen
- Graduate Program:
- Forest Resources
- Degree:
- Doctor of Philosophy
- Document Type:
- Dissertation
- Date of Defense:
- March 01, 2005
- Committee Members:
- James Craig Finley, Committee Chair/Co-Chair
Charles Andrew Cole, Committee Chair/Co-Chair
Fern Kaley Willits, Committee Member
David Russell Dewalle, Committee Member - Keywords:
- water conservation
water resource management - Abstract:
- Water has been called the oil of the 21st century. When faced with a water shortage, a community must either develop new water sources or reduce demand. Due to the political, economic and environmental barriers to developing new water sources, water suppliers are increasingly looking to conservation to reduce demand. Blagoevgrad, Bulgaria has faced frequent water shortages during the past decade, but little effort has been made to encourage or implement water conservation among domestic consumers. Key-informant interviews, focus groups and a detailed questionnaire were used to explore the opinions and attitudes of Blagoevgrad residents toward water resources management and water conservation. A conceptual model extending the theory of planned behavior (TPB) was developed and tested for its ability to explain intention to adopt water conserving behaviors and technology. In addition to the core TPB variables (attitude toward water conservation, social norms and perceived behavioral control), the model included socio-demographics, environmental attitudes, information effects, and concern over future shortages. The model explained approximately 27 percent of the variation in intention to conserve water, with 35 percent of this variation being explained by the TPB variables. Residents tended to have positive attitudes toward water conservation but low perceived behavioral control. An important obstacle to water conservation implementation was the lack of knowledge and adoption of low-flow fixtures. The results of the study should aid in the design of a water conservation program for Blagoevgrad and similar communities in Bulgaria.