Comparison of Psychological Factors Effects on Residential Water Curtailment Behaviors and Water-Efficiency Behaviors; Case Study of Tehran, Iran

Ensuring water security in the face of population growth and resource scarcity has posed a serious challenge for policymakers in urban areas and led them to water demand management (WDM) approaches. Water conservation as a key factor in WDM is an effective solution to the sustainable urban water supply that includes two categories: water curtailment behaviors and water-efficiency behaviors. Given that the voluntary acceptance of water conservation behaviors by individuals, understanding the psychological determinant processes of these behaviors is an important aspect in designing effective policies and interventions in this area. Therefore, the purpose of this study was to investigate factors affecting water conservation intentions and behaviors among Tehran citizens using the theory of planned behavior (TPB). The data collected using both online and offline surveys (N=820) in Tehran by a structured questionnaire, which its validity was confirmed by experts, and its reliability was confirmed by Cronbach's alpha coefficient. Data analyze conducted through the structural equation modeling. Based on the results, the TPB can explain 83% and 40% of the variance in water curtailment intentions and behaviors, respectively, and 57% and 37% of the variance in water-efficiency intentions and behaviors, respectively. The results also suggested attitude and perceived behavioral control affect the intention regarding both behaviors, but subjective norm does not affect the intention for both behaviors. In addition, the results revealed that both behaviors influenced by intentions and perceived behavioral control. Finally, based on the results, implications for improving residential water conservation and suggestions for future research are provided.