Publication: A Behavioral Approach to Water Conservation: Evidence from Costa Rica
Date
2015-06
ISSN
Published
2015-06
Author(s)
Datta, Saugato
Zoratto, Laura
Calvo-Gonzalez, Oscar
Darlingm, Matthew
Lorenzana, Karina
Abstract
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.
Citation
“Datta, Saugato; Miranda, Juan José; Zoratto, Laura; Calvo-Gonzalez, Oscar; Darlingm, Matthew; Lorenzana, Karina. 2015. A Behavioral Approach to Water Conservation : Evidence from Costa Rica. Policy Research Working Paper;No. 7283. © World Bank, Washington, DC. http://openknowledge.worldbank.org/handle/10986/22156?show=full License: CC BY 3.0 IGO.”
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