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Providing procedural knowledge: A field experiment to encourage resource conservation in Namibia

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  • Tonke, Sebastian
Abstract
I conduct a large-scale field experiment (N = 14876) with a public water utility in Namibia to encourage water conservation during a drought. Providing a short list of specific conservation strategies via text message decreases residential water consumption by around 5.3 percent. Other treatment arms that ask individuals to use and develop their own strategies are ineffective, suggesting that individuals may lack knowledge on how to reduce their water consumption effectively. This interpretation is corroborated by survey evidence as most respondents struggle to name effective conservation strategies. As a secondary outcome, I examine whether the intervention influences the payment of water utility bills. Utility bills are often not paid in full in my setting, which affects the fiscal sustainability (i.e., cost recovery) of the water utility. I find that payments do not decrease. This implies that customers pay a larger amount of their bill, since they consume less water without reducing payments.

Suggested Citation

  • Tonke, Sebastian, 2024. "Providing procedural knowledge: A field experiment to encourage resource conservation in Namibia," Journal of Development Economics, Elsevier, vol. 166(C).
    • Handle: RePEc:eee:deveco:v:166:y:2024:i:c:s030438782300158x
    DOI: 10.1016/j.jdeveco.2023.103202
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    More about this item

    Keywords

    Water conservation; Information provision; Field experiment; Sustainability; Water scarcity; Procedural knowledge;
    All these keywords.

    JEL classification:

    • C93 - Mathematical and Quantitative Methods - - Design of Experiments - - - Field Experiments
    • D90 - Microeconomics - - Micro-Based Behavioral Economics - - - General
    • O13 - Economic Development, Innovation, Technological Change, and Growth - - Economic Development - - - Agriculture; Natural Resources; Environment; Other Primary Products
    • Q25 - Agricultural and Natural Resource Economics; Environmental and Ecological Economics - - Renewable Resources and Conservation - - - Water
    • Q54 - Agricultural and Natural Resource Economics; Environmental and Ecological Economics - - Environmental Economics - - - Climate; Natural Disasters and their Management; Global Warming
    • Q56 - Agricultural and Natural Resource Economics; Environmental and Ecological Economics - - Environmental Economics - - - Environment and Development; Environment and Trade; Sustainability; Environmental Accounts and Accounting; Environmental Equity; Population Growth

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