Perceptions of community members in Lephalale Area, Limpopo Province, towards water conservation: towards the development of a psychological model

Abstract

Despite interventions by various governments to regulate water demand and address water scarcity, literature shows that billions of people across the world continue to struggle with access because not everyone contributes equally to conservation efforts. Behavioural factors such as individual and collective aspects of cognition and commitment have been found to play an important role in water conservation. The present study aimed to explore the perceptions of community members in the Lephalale area, Limpopo province, towards water conservation to develop an explanatory psychological model of water conservation. Twenty (20) participants who relied on communal taps to access water in Lephalale Local Municipality, Limpopo province were selected through purposeful sampling. In-depth, semi-structured, individual face-to-face interviews were used to gather data and were analysed utilizing Thematic Content Analysis (TCA). The following themes were extracted from the participants’ narratives: meanings attached to water, psychological effects of water scarcity, coping strategies to handle the issue of water scarcity, participants’ experiences of water conservation, behaviours that hinder water conservation, and behaviours that promote water conservation. The study findings showed that people have attached symbolic and significance-based meanings to water which affects their water consumption behaviours. The research findings also revealed that there are various psychological effects of water scarcity on communities such as emotional distress, interpersonal conflicts, and disruptions of daily activities of living. Additionally, the study results showed that the coping strategies developed by participants to deal with water scarcity included adopting alternative water use behaviours as well as adjusting current behaviours and lifestyles. Various behaviours that hinder as well as those that promote water conservation were identified by study participants. Derived from the study findings, a psychological model of water conservation was developed. The model incorporates some ideas from the Value-Belief-Norm (VBN) theory and the Afrocentric theory. The model suggests that people’s worldviews, including their values, beliefs, and culture are significant determinants of their pro-environmental behaviours. For instance, it was found that peoples’ perceptions, views as well as meanings they attach to water affected their water consumption behaviours. The study recommends that authorities and policy-makers should consider psychological factors when developing water management programmes, strategies, and interventions. The study further recommends that psychology experts need to be included and consulted when such programmes are developed.