Factors influencing community’s adoption of domestic water conservation measures in Moshi Rural District, Tanzania
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Date
2023-11-16
Journal Title
Journal ISSN
Volume Title
Publisher
Sustainable Water Resources Management
Abstract
Water conservation is necessary to minimize water losses and meet the needs of the growing population. While several
domestic water conservation measures (WCMs) have been developed and promoted among households in Africa, the extent
of adoption and factors associated with their adoption are not well understood. We conducted an analysis to assess the current
level of adoption and identify factors associated with household adoption of domestic WCMs through interviews with 150
randomly selected household heads from six villages in northern Tanzania. On average, 60% of the respondents reported
implementing various WCMs whereas 40% did not implement any measures. The most adopted WCM was rainwater har-
vesting in water tanks, followed by wastewater reuse and the utilization of alternative cleaning methods such as brooms and
towels. The likelihood of adopting WCMs was found to be higher among single heads of household compared to married
heads of household. Additionally, adoption was negatively correlated with age but positively correlated with the distance
between the household's residence and alternative water sources. We recommend targeting water conservation education at
elderly individuals, married couples, and those residing near water sources to improve domestic water conservation practices
within local communities.
Description
Journal article
Keywords
Water conservation, Water efficiency, Domestic water use, Socio-economic factors