Description: A Behavioral Approach to Water Conservation : Evidence from Costa Rica

A Behavioral Approach to Water Conservation : Evidence from Costa Rica

This paper presents the design a set of three simple and replicable behavioral interventions, which use stickers that can be added to water bills at low cost, and test their impact on water consumption in Belen, Costa Rica, using a randomized contr...

Full description

Bibliographic Details
Main Authors:	Datta, Saugato, Miranda, Juan José, Zoratto, Laura, Calvo-Gonzalez, Oscar, Darlingm, Matthew, Lorenzana, Karina
Language:	English en_US
Published:	World Bank, Washington, DC 2015
Subjects:	WATERING WATER SUPPLIES USE OF WATER PRICE OF WATER HAND WASHING PRICE ELASTICITY OF DEMAND WATER CRISIS MONTHLY WATER BILL WATER USAGE WATER CONSUMERS COMMUNITY WATER SUPPLY PROGRAMS URBAN WATER MANAGEMENT WATER METERS WATER SUPPLY DOMESTIC WATER FIXED CHARGES URBAN WATER WATER SHORTAGES GLOBAL WATER CRISIS HOUSEHOLD WATER WASHING HIGH WATER CONSUMPTION WATER BOARD TOWNS BASIC SANITATION WATER CONSUMPTION WATER RESOURCES ELECTRICITY CONSUMPTION MUNICIPALITIES WATER SYSTEM WASTEWATER TREATMENT WATER MANAGEMENT CLIMATIC CONDITIONS AVERAGE WATER CONSUMPTION WATER BILL WATER PRICING HIGH WATER POPULATION GROWTH WATER USE WATER MUNICIPAL GOVERNMENTS SCIENCES WATER GOVERNANCE WATER DEVELOPMENT WATER USE PATTERNS SERVICE PROVISION POTABLE WATER WATER SCARCITY RESEARCH PRICE ELASTICITY PUBLIC SERVICE PROVISION BILLING SMALL TOWN URBAN DWELLERS MUNICIPAL WATER SUPPLY POTABLE WATER SYSTEM MUNICIPAL UTILITIES CHARGES – FOR WATER WATER SUPPLY SYSTEMS WASTEWATER FRESHWATER RESOURCES LOW-INCOME HOUSEHOLDS FRESH WATER MUNICIPAL WATER DEPARTMENTS CLIMATE CHANGE DEMAND FOR WATER UTILITIES WATER DEMAND LARGE CITIES SYSTEMS WATER ASSESSMENT COMMUNITY WATER URBAN AREAS WATER PRODUCTION CONSUMERS SANITATION SECTOR CUBIC METERS MUNICIPAL WATER DEPARTMENT POWER UTILITY WATER DEFICIT CUBIC METERS OF WATER BROAD RANGE TOWN WATER UTILITIES WATER SOURCES HOUSEHOLD WATER USE SANITATION SERVICES WATER RATIONING DRINKING WATER STATISTICS GROUNDWATER HOUSEHOLDS METERS WATER SAVINGS CONSERVATION WATER SITUATION HOUSEHOLD WATER CONSUMPTION HOUSEHOLD CONSUMPTION ACCESS TO DRINKING WATER WATER SERVICE DOMESTIC WATER CONSUMPTION DEMAND MANAGEMENT WATER DEPARTMENTS WATER BILLS WATER DEPARTMENT WATER RATES WATER CONSERVATION MUNICIPAL WATER
Online Access:	http://documents.worldbank.org/curated/en/2015/06/24577782/behavioral-approach-water-conservation-evidence-costa-rica http://hdl.handle.net/10986/22156

Description
Summary:	This paper presents the design a set of three simple and replicable behavioral interventions, which use stickers that can be added to water bills at low cost, and test their impact on water consumption in Belen, Costa Rica, using a randomized control trial. Two of the three interventions were found to decrease water consumption significantly in the months following the intervention. A descriptive social norm intervention using neighborhood comparisons reduces consumption by between 3.7 and 5.6 percent relative to a control group, while a plan-making intervention reduces consumption by between 3.4 and 5.5 percent. While the two interventions have similar results, they are effective on different subpopulations, with the plan-making intervention being most effective for low-consumption households, while the neighborhood comparison intervention is most effective for high-consumption households. The results demonstrate that behavioral interventions, which have hitherto utilized sophisticated software to deliver customized messages, can be effectively implemented by local governments in developing countries, where technology and resource constraints render the sorts of customized messaging that has typically been used to deliver them in developed countries unfeasible. The results further confirm that raising awareness about how much water an individual consumes, and comparing this consumption level with peers, can go a long way in helping change individuals’ behavior regarding the use of a finite resource such as water.

A Behavioral Approach to Water Conservation : Evidence from Costa Rica

Similar Items