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The purpose of the paper is to attempt to answer the question of how tourism influences the behaviours connected with natural environment.
Abstract
Purpose
The purpose of the paper is to attempt to answer the question of how tourism influences the behaviours connected with natural environment.
Design/methodology/approach
The research is based on the example of the attitude towards water usage among indigenous inhabitants of the Douz, Tozeur and Nefta oases in southern Tunisia. The research was conducted on the basis of the methodology of cultural anthropology, such as indirect and direct observation, verified in the time period between 1983 and 2006, partially categorized questionnaire interviews with natives of Douz, Tozeur and Nefta oases (43 people altogether). A supplement to the questionnaire interviews with natives was the research conducted in a group of hotel managers and tourists. As far as the information on water economy is concerned the author's work is grounded on research conducted simultaneously in the same area by another team as well as on a research conducted in similar environmental conditions.
Findings
The development of the tourism sector in the south of Tunisia started simultaneously with investments in artesian wells and pipelines transporting water to irrigate the oases. Therefore, it is difficult to estimate explicitly to what extent the behaviours concerning water economy were influenced by the investments and to what extent by tourism. Tourism has, however, undoubtedly the function of a “starting factor” which initiated a change in the traditional attitude towards water. As a result, the behaviours of indigenous inhabitants of the dry areas are subject to violent transformation – the highest water usage (often water waste) is observable in the agricultural sector, not in the tourism sector. It is worth emphasizing that the fatal consequences are often provoked not by the tourists' behaviours, but by the behaviour of the hotel staff – frequent filling of swimming pools, excessive watering of hotel gardens – which is being observed by indigenous inhabitants.
Practical implications
The lack restrictions concerning water consumption may undoubtedly lead to “self‐destruction of tourism”. Tunisian Government should definitely intervene in these matters (e.g. through the introduction of water usage restrictions for hoteliers).
Originality/value
Showing the interconnections between the development of the tourism sector specializing in mass tourism services and increased water consumption in the agricultural sector in dry areas.
Details
Keywords
Abel D. Alonso and Alfred Ogle
While environmental sustainability is increasingly gaining relevance, it appears to have been ignored in certain areas, such as in research on water usage of small and medium…
Abstract
Purpose
While environmental sustainability is increasingly gaining relevance, it appears to have been ignored in certain areas, such as in research on water usage of small and medium enterprises (SMEs) in the hospitality and tourism industries. The purpose of this paper is to examine this dimension from the perspective of the operators.
Design/methodology/approach
Semi‐structured face‐to‐face and telephone interviews were conducted with ten managers/operators in the Swan Valley region of Western Australia.
Findings
Strong manager/operator awareness of the impact of their actions on the environment was demonstrated. Also salient was the factors impinging on implementation of environmental initiatives. Business demands or added costs also present challenges in fully materializing an operator's environmentally sustainable practices, particularly concerning water consumption in service areas, such as in toilets, which represents a large proportion of total water usage.
Research limitations/implications
The limited number of participants does not allow for making generalizations of environmentally sustainable practices among SMEs in the hospitality and tourism sector. However, this exploratory study provides insights into an area that has received very limited attention in academic research.
Practical implications
As environmental issues may increasingly become more serious, the engagement of managers, operators, the wider business community and other bodies at different levels is critical. In this regard, the study provides several implications for these stakeholders.
Originality/value
Very few studies have attempted to investigate environmental issues among small hospitality and tourism enterprises. This paper not only seeks to close knowledge gaps in an under‐researched area but also to open the door for future studies in the area.
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Janna M. Parker, Doreen Sams, Amit Poddar and Kalina Manoylov
The purpose of this study (mixed-method) was to examine the effectiveness of two types of marketing interventions on water conservation behavior and to compare behaviors to…
Abstract
Purpose
The purpose of this study (mixed-method) was to examine the effectiveness of two types of marketing interventions on water conservation behavior and to compare behaviors to self-reported conservation claims.
Design/methodology/approach
This paper consists of four phases (advertisement selection focus group, behavioral trace field study, self-report survey and follow-up focus group). In the USA, residing in a dormitory typically includes a fee for water without quantity restrictions. The subjects for this research were college students who lived in dormitories at a medium-sized university in southeastern USA where metering individual water consumption is not possible.
Findings
The results of the field study phase of student water conservation behaviors were not congruent with the participants’ self-reported behaviors. Phase 2 yielded results contrary to published laboratory experimental research in which cause-related claims were effective.
Research limitations/implications
This research was limited by a single sample (one university), time (13 weeks) and the inability to measure individual consumption behavior. However, valuable findings were obtained, and suggestions surfaced for future research.
Practical implications
Using eco-feedback technology and advertisements may result in significant cost savings. While findings were somewhat inconclusive, there was evidence that the use of the eco-feedback technology could result in cost savings for the subject university.
Originality/value
The behavioral trace study is one of the first field research studies in the marketing discipline designed to examine resource conservation behavior in an impactful way. Further, this research used a single sample triangulated methodology across Phases 2, 3 and 4.
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Drought conditions affected an acute water scarcity crisis across large parts of Australia through the late 1990s and into the 2000s. Public policy responses emphasised demand…
Abstract
Purpose
Drought conditions affected an acute water scarcity crisis across large parts of Australia through the late 1990s and into the 2000s. Public policy responses emphasised demand management strategies. This study aims to examine the response to these challenges within a large Australian university from 1999 to 2010.
Design/methodology/approach
Case study utilising semi-structured interviews.
Findings
Staff empowered to take an emergent approach to issues of social concern, initiated water accountability change focused on water efficiency from 1999, and “water principles” from 2002. A growing network had some success translating and enrolling others over coming years. However into the late 2000s, as drought conditions abated and with a renewed focus on financial control, developments that had not established clear links to core accountability mechanisms eroded. This study demonstrates that measurement is essential to understanding patterns of water usage, but also needs to establish links to core systems of accountability to broadly change behaviour.
Practical implications
Higher education continues to be an environment where creative responses to community challenges can be nurtured. Despite increasing pressures to focus on financial outcomes, the sector should continue to nurture opportunities to shape issues of community concern through leading practice.
Originality/value
This study provides insight into the development, fragility, and contested meaning of emergent systems of water accountability within the context of a university.
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Keywords
Linhan Zhang and Qingliang Tang
Water management is an emerging practice. This paper aims to propose a theoretical model of a corporate water management system (WMS) and empirically explores whether superior…
Abstract
Purpose
Water management is an emerging practice. This paper aims to propose a theoretical model of a corporate water management system (WMS) and empirically explores whether superior water management improves water use performance.
Design/methodology/approach
Our model of WMS consists of 10 structural elements. We draw on self-discipline theory to predict the results and use archival data from the Carbon Disclosure Project to measure and evaluate the overall quality and effectiveness of the water management of our sample companies.
Findings
Companies motivated to adopt self-discipline tend to proactively implement high-quality WMSs. However, further analyses suggest that water management without regulatory sanctions appears insufficient for reducing water usage, at least in the short term. Overall, this study reveals a clear and growing tendency for businesses to manage water risks and a corresponding momentum toward more rigid control of water consumption.
Research limitations/implications
Corporate participation in the Carbon Disclosure Project survey is voluntary. Thus, the data in this paper are subject to self-selection bias, and what the companies claim concerning their behavior may not reflect the reality of their business practices. In addition, the inferences drawn here are based on data from only large firms. Future researchers could investigate whether and how corporate WMS continued to develop or decline in recent years, and how such practices integrate with other aspects of management (including carbon and energy).
Practical implications
This paper responds to water scarcity by exploring how the development of corporate WMS is driven by self-discipline motivation. This study sets out an agenda for the future of water accounting and management which can be used to guide research and stimulate extension in practice. Governments and non-governmental organizations may utilize the results to guide and bind corporations to achieve sustainability.
Social implications
The efficient use of freshwater is essential for sustainability, but limited studies have addressed the issue. The current paper explores this important issue, and our findings suggest regulatory institution is necessary to effectively enhance water usage.
Originality/value
This paper represents an early attempt to model corporate water management practices. A WMS should facilitate resilience in water management, measurement of water performance, and comparability among firms. This study contributes to the conceptualization and empirical assessment of self-discipline in motivated water management and enhances the validity and applicability of the theory of self-disciplining in sustainability research.
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Jorge Alejandro Silva Rodríguez de San Miguel, Esteban Martínez Díaz and Dulce María Monroy Becerril
The purpose of this paper is to explore the relationship between climate change and internal migration in the Americas.
Abstract
Purpose
The purpose of this paper is to explore the relationship between climate change and internal migration in the Americas.
Design/methodology/approach
A systematic literature review type of research synthesize the state of knowledge; it was searched through the Web of Science, Scopus, Google Scholar, among other databases, for articles that focused on climate migration, gender, water stress and models for predicting movement.
Findings
Decreased water availability and increased prevalence to water-related disasters causes internal migration. Also, male out migration is quite prevalent in South American nations with women being left to take care of the families.
Research limitations/implications
There is a need for further primary research to analyse what actions the Americas are taking to carve out a large policy-making space for themselves in climate change and internal migration.
Originality/value
The 32 papers explored in the discussion section present a novel insight into climate change, water usage, gender and internal migration. The papers also elucidate that cultural and ideological conflicts are bound to occur as the communities move with the receiving society finding it hard to accommodate the needs of the climate migrants.
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Keywords
Adam M. Komarek, Max Spoor, Shuyi Feng and Xiaoping Shi
The purpose of this paper is to explore the expansion of agricultural production into marginal lands, also known as “wasteland,” and examine the association between political…
Abstract
Purpose
The purpose of this paper is to explore the expansion of agricultural production into marginal lands, also known as “wasteland,” and examine the association between political capital, household income, and using additional marginal lands for agriculture in the Xinjiang Uyghur Autonomous Region of western China.
Design/methodology/approach
The paper uses exploratory data analyses methods, including descriptive statistics, graphical analysis, econometrics and propensity score matching, and data from a 2008 survey of 342 households in Awat County of Aksu Prefecture to explore the role of political capital in an agricultural household setting.
Findings
Preliminary results suggest that wasteland usage has a positive association with income, and that household political capital, in the form of Communist Party membership or being a village cadre, correlates with wasteland usage because it improves access to irrigation water.
Originality/value
A constant topic of debate in China is the role of political capital in influencing livelihoods. The authors aim to add modest insights into this debate and provide a starting point to foster additional debates regarding the role of political capital, rural livelihoods, and natural resource usage.
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This study aims to provide and illustrate the application of a framework for conducting techno-economic analyses (TEA) of early-stage designs for net-zero water and energy…
Abstract
Purpose
This study aims to provide and illustrate the application of a framework for conducting techno-economic analyses (TEA) of early-stage designs for net-zero water and energy, single-family homes that meet affordable housing criteria in diverse locations.
Design/methodology/approach
The framework is developed and applied in a case example of a TEA of four designs for achieving net zero-water and energy in an affordable home in Saint Lucie County, Florida.
Findings
Homes built and sold at current market prices, using combinations of well versus rainwater harvesting (RWH) systems and grid-tied versus hybrid solar photovoltaic (PV) systems, can meet affordable housing criteria for moderate-income families, when 30-year fixed-rate mortgages are at 2%–3%. As rates rise to 6%, unless battery costs drop by 40% and 60%, respectively, homes using hybrid solar PV systems combined with well versus RWH systems cease to meet affordable housing criteria. For studied water and electricity usage and 6% interest rates, only well and grid-tied solar PV systems provide water and electricity at costs below current public supply prices.
Originality/value
This article provides a highly adaptable framework for conducting TEAs in diverse locations for designs of individual net-zero water and energy affordable homes and whole subdivisions of such homes. The framework includes a new technique for sizing storage tanks for residential RWH systems and provides a foundation for future research at the intersection of affordable housing development and residential net-zero water and energy systems design.
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Keywords
Arman Firoz Velani, Vaibhav S. Narwane and Bhaskar B. Gardas
This paper aims to identify the role of internet of things (IoT) in water supply chain management and helps to understand its future path from the junction of computer science and…
Abstract
Purpose
This paper aims to identify the role of internet of things (IoT) in water supply chain management and helps to understand its future path from the junction of computer science and resource management.
Design/methodology/approach
The current research was studied through bibliometric review and content analysis, and various contributors and linkages were found. Also, the possible directions and implications of the field were analyzed.
Findings
The paper’s key findings include the role of modern computer science in water resource management through sensor technology, big data analytics, IoT, machine learning and cloud computing. This, in turn, helps in understanding future implications of IoT resource management.
Research limitations/implications
A more extensive database can add up to more combinations of linkages and ideas about the future direction. The implications and understanding gained by the research can be used by governments and firms dealing with water management of smart cities. It can also help find ways for optimizing water resources using IoT and modern-day computer science.
Originality/value
This study is one of the very few investigations that highlighted IoT’s role in water supply management. Thus, this study helps to assess the scope and the trend of the case area.
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Gerasimos A. Gianakis and XiaoHu Wang
Local governments are often forced to purchase expertise for non-recurring analyses, such as rate setting for water and sewer services, because it is not cost-effective for these…
Abstract
Local governments are often forced to purchase expertise for non-recurring analyses, such as rate setting for water and sewer services, because it is not cost-effective for these governments to maintain such expertise in-house or because independent analyses are preferred by watch-dog agencies or mandated by state statutes. However, like many ostensibly value-neutral analytical studies, these studies inevitably entail policy choices of which elected policy makers may not be aware. External analysts may not be aware of idiosyncratic factors, and they apply boilerplate perspectives that may not be responsive to local preferences. These perspectives limit policy options, although they may appear to be value-neutral. Policy makers must take an active role in these analytical studies in order to ensure that local preferences and specific factors are considered. Citizen committees comprised of residents with the necessary expertise, or experts from local colleges and universities may be able to provide the necessary oversight.