Consumption Behavior and Water Demand Management in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia: Implications for Extension and Education PDF

Keywords

Water resources, Depletion, Conservation measures, Extension initiatives, Educational programs, Capacity building.

Abstract

Arid climate, high temperatures, limited water supplies; and scarce fresh water resources are prominent features of the ecosystems of the kingdom of Saudi Arabia. Water results sustainability and ensures the survival of the living biota. Since the development of new water resources happens to quite expensive and difficult, therefore conservation of presently available supplies and their wise management by the households, farms and industries seems to be the most suitable option to combat water scarcity. Enormous quantities of water can be saved by employing the simple concepts and principles of Water Demand Management (WDM) in the conservation programs. Realizing the importance of conservation initiatives, the kingdom made generous offers to the consumers in the forms of free distribution of water saving devices and kits. The kingdom offered free friendly technical assistance and support for the installations of the sanitary fittings at the consumers’ residences. These initiatives were also supported by the Extension and Education programs. Extension messages were brought to the water consumers and general public in the pictorial forms. They produced a positive impact and helped reducing the water consumption by 20-30 percent. The present study suggests the continuation of the extension education programs on water conservation.