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Investigating Attitudes towards Water Savings, Price Increases, and Willingness to Pay among Italian University Students

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  • Masserini Lucio

    (University of Pisa)

  • Romano Giulia

    (University of Pisa)

  • Corsini Lorenzo

    (University of Pisa)

Abstract

Knowledge of attitudes towards water conservation, potential reactions to incorporating supplementary costs into water prices, and the willingness to pay for water services is vitally important to decision makers wishing to implement policies that effectively promote more conscious water consumption and mitigate increasingly important water scarcity issues. This study aims to examine the relationships among these dimensions and their potential explanatory factors—such as family values, knowledge about problems related to water scarcity, attitude and propensity to pro-environmental behavior, and social pressure that individuals receive to behave in a certain manner—through a sample survey on 429 students enrolled at the University of Pisa (Italy). A set of hypotheses were formulated among eight latent variables that reflect the previous constructs and were tested through a structural equation model. As for key findings, we highlight the importance of family values as the main determinant of pro-environmental behaviors, which result in more responsible water use, greater support for price increases to encourage water saving practices, and a greater willingness to pay more for improved water and water service quality. Policymakers should consider these findings when developing policies and strategies to incentivize effective water saving practices among younger generations.

Suggested Citation

  • Masserini Lucio & Romano Giulia & Corsini Lorenzo, 2018. "Investigating Attitudes towards Water Savings, Price Increases, and Willingness to Pay among Italian University Students," Water Resources Management: An International Journal, Published for the European Water Resources Association (EWRA), Springer;European Water Resources Association (EWRA), vol. 32(12), pages 4123-4138, September.
    • Handle: RePEc:spr:waterr:v:32:y:2018:i:12:d:10.1007_s11269-018-2049-7
    DOI: 10.1007/s11269-018-2049-7
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    2. Darshana Rajapaksa & Robert Gifford & Benno Torgler & María A. García-Valiñas & Wasantha Athukorala & Shunsuke Managi & Clevo Wilson, 2019. "Do monetary and non-monetary incentives influence environmental attitudes and behavior? Evidence from an experimental analysis," Post-Print hal-03191523, HAL.
    3. Toqeer Ahmed & Hassaan Sipra & Muhammad Zahir & Anwar Ahmad & Mumtaz Ahmed, 2022. "Consumer Perception and Behavior Toward Water Supply, Demand, Water Tariff, Water Quality, and Willingness-To-Pay: A Cross Sectional Study," Water Resources Management: An International Journal, Published for the European Water Resources Association (EWRA), Springer;European Water Resources Association (EWRA), vol. 36(4), pages 1339-1354, March.
    4. Meng-Meng Geng & Ling-Yun He, 2021. "Environmental Regulation, Environmental Awareness and Environmental Governance Satisfaction," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 13(7), pages 1-17, April.
    5. Francisca Ruiz-Garzón & María del Carmen Olmos-Gómez & Ligia Isabel Estrada-Vidal, 2021. "Perceptions of Teachers in Training on Water Issues and Their Relationship to the SDGs," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 13(9), pages 1-19, April.

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