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Building an Interdisciplinary Research Program in Water Conservation. بناء برنامج بحثي متعدد التخصصات لترشيد استهلاك المياه. Dr. David E. Rosenberg Dr. Joanna Endter -Wada Dr. Arthur J. Caplan Diana T. Glenn Guy Ballard Katie Davis Henderson March 31, 2011 Efficient 2011
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Building an Interdisciplinary Research Program in Water Conservation بناء برنامج بحثي متعدد التخصصات لترشيد استهلاك المياه Dr. David E. Rosenberg Dr. Joanna Endter-Wada Dr. Arthur J. Caplan Diana T. Glenn Guy Ballard Katie Davis Henderson March 31, 2011 Efficient 2011 Dead Sea, Jordan
Agenda • Motivation • Interdisciplinary approach • Preliminary findings • Next steps • USU conservation research
Motivation • Water-scarce, arid western U.S. • Rapid population growth • Many cities implement individualized conservation programs • What motivates and empowers conservation behavior? • How to control across locations & program types? • Water volume saved? • Move beyond existing paradigms Demand ? Volume Supply Year
Interdisciplinary Approach • Empirical, case study, and modeling methods • Work with households and cities • Quantitative and qualitative primary time-series data • Design multi-year study • USU seed grant
Activities-to-date • Key informant interviews (32 managers) • Focus groups (5) • Test recruitment (41 hh) • Invitation • Preliminary information sharing • Will you participate? • Communication method • Secured IRB approval • Database design
Example information sharing Irrigated (culinary) Not irrigated (hardscape)
Example information sharing Irrigated (culinary) Not irrigated (hardscape)
Preliminary Results • Willingness to participate • Differences statistically insignificant across interaction methods [Fisher Exact p=0.258;0.438]
Additional lessons learned • Price increase can prompt policy dilemma • Receptivity depends on program framing • Respondents interested in • water conservation • $$ compensation • Strong support from cities • 2 cities now collaborating • 3rd conservancy district likely will • Verified ability to conduct larger, multi-year study
Next Steps • Secure funding • U.S. National Science Foundation (submitted Jan., 2011) • U.S. Bureau of Reclamation • U.S. Environmental Protection Agency • Western Governor’s Association • Recruit and train student researcher team • Develop cyber-infrastructure
USU Conservation Research Environment and Society Plant, Soils, and Climate • Institutional conservation Civil and Environmental Engineering • Turfgrass • Irrigation efficiency • Estimate and verify savings • Energy and water savings • Capacity to conserve • Landscape water checks • Landscape lifecycle analysis • Recycling Economics USU Extension
?? Questions ?? Dr. David E. Rosenberg david.rosenberg@usu.edu http://www.engr.usu.edu/cee/faculty/derosenberg/