Water Conservation Through Voluntary Responsible Behaviour at Botho University in Botswana

Abstract

In 2016, the Paris agreement on climate change agreed to limit the global warming well below 2°C, and ideally 1.5°C by the end of the century. Even-though the global temperature on track shows a raise towards 3.2°C by the end of the century breaking 1.5°C target by 2040, one wonders how the Adaptation at Scale in Semi-Arid Regions (ASSAR) assessed the vulnerability of Botswana in reaching the limit, 2°C. Accordingly, Botswana will show a steady raise in temperature to 2.8°C, the annual rainfall will drop by 9% and increase in dry days by 17 extra days. In addition, even the Limpopo catchment in Botswana will show a decline by 36%. Given these scenarios, water as a lifelong commodity becomes highly vulnerable in Botswana. With a view to mitigate the intensity, the local, regional and international legal, policy and institutional framework legislated, agreed otherwise ratified expects a sustainable water management by voluntary, responsible behaviour from the consumers apart from other stakeholders in Botswana. For example, 2030 Agenda for 17 SDGs: the SDG 06: Clean Water and Sanitation & 12 th SDG: Responsible Consumption and Production. Consequently, this study qualitatively investigated the ex-ante and ex-post behavior of a consumer manifested by the strategic management in the light of theory of planned behavior for the water conservation project implemented by installation of newer water efficient appliances at Botho University in a landlocked country, Botswana. The test of theory of planned behaviour finds that the attitudes, social norms and Perceived Behavioural Control of the strategic management made strong intention for the responsible behavioural change in implementing the project. Further, the project has been able to save the water by 80%, supply water continuously to consumers, protect the environment and further a cost saving to the university. These findings will be significant to ascertain how antecedent factors determine the decision making behaviour of a water conservation project. Such understanding acts as a catalyst for African universities to be a beacon of vision and mission in water conservation, distribution and governance in Africa in which continent 33% of people are affected by water scarcity which is getting worse with urbanization, population, industrial use and climate change.