There is a growing interest in decentralized wastewater treatment systems, especially in regions with water scarcity problems or water management issues. This study aims to determine whether the perceived advantages and disadvantages (leading to acceptance) of decentralized wastewater plants in such regions are the same in regions where the population is not aware of these water issues. Firstly, this study systematically reviews previous findings on public perceptions of the acceptance of decentralized wastewater treatment systems. Then, the study details the results of a focus group study to determine whether the elements identified in the literature are also relevant in a region where people are unaware of water problems. The results show that a lack of awareness of water issues seems to be a critical factor influencing acceptance. Reframing the usefulness of these systems by focusing on other aspects, such as environmental sustainability, is key.

Water scarcity is a major problem that affects a greater number of countries every year. A possible solution is using recycled water systems. However, to implement the use of recycled water, public acceptance is needed. In this study, we propose a perceptive-axiological model (PAM) to understand the reasons for public acceptance or rejection of recycled water. This is the first model to jointly consider three conceptual dimensions: the diagnosis of the environmental situation, the axiological influence and the public perceptions regarding recycled water. The sample in this study consisted of 726 randomly selected participants who completed an online questionnaire. A key factor considered was the type of water use (low- or high-contact). Additionally, the model's ability to predict acceptance in regions of high and low water stress was tested. The model showed good fit and predictive capacity for both low (R² = .272) and high (R² = .501) contact uses and partial equivalence between regions. Threat perception was the most distal variable in the model which, together with identity, affected the attribution of responsibility. These variables, along with trust in scientists, affected the three direct predictors of acceptance: perceived health risks, moral obligation, and cost-benefit analysis. Perceived health risk was the most important predictor in both types of contact (β = -.642 in high-contact, β = -.388 in low-contact uses). Moral obligation had a greater impact in high-contact (β = .170) than in low-contact (β = .099) uses; the opposite outcome occurred with respect to costs-benefit analysis (β = .067 in high-contact, β = .219 in low-contact uses). The PAM offers a general framework that identifies the importance of the three dimensions and how they interact with each other, which facilitates the development of strategies to increase acceptance. On the one hand, the PAM works as a tool to assess the profile of a specific population and, on the other hand, it highlights the specific factors which are the best suited for interventions to increase public acceptance.

This study brings together the level of objective knowledge on water-related issues and other variables of psychological and situational nature. A random sample of 459 participants was employed, selected proportionally based on sex and age. In this sample, knowledge on the water-related issues tended to be low, particularly related to the direct source of water in the household, the type of services involved in the management, and consumption itself. In order to understand both the relationship with knowledge on water and the relative importance of all the other factors, a regression model was formulated. The highest standardised effect was for sex, followed by occupation, political leaning, and water-related emotions. The best level of knowledge was attained if the residents were male, if they were actively employed or unemployed, if their political leaning was towards the left, and if they demonstrated greater emotional involvement with the water use. Consequently, the design of programmes would need to consider that the information flow must be greater for citizens as a whole, particularly for certain groups such as women and students. It should contribute to the realistic perception of water as a problem and to seek emotional involvement.

Las intervenciones para promover conductas conservadoras del agua han seguido 3 tipos de estrategias: feedback, normas sociales y campañas de sensibilización. Esta revisión pretende evaluar las características metodológicas y valorar la eficacia alcanzada por estas estrategias. De una búsqueda sistemática de literatura, obtuvimos 31 artículos. En cada estrategia, analizamos 6 variables metodológicas esenciales, y calculamos el tamaño del efecto promedio. Encontramos ausencia destacada de grupo control y de medidas pre-post. El tamaño del efecto fue medio en las intervenciones de feedback y bajo en intervenciones basadas en normas sociales y campañas de sensibilización. Las intervenciones de feedback presentan mejores condiciones metodológicas. No obstante, se impone la necesidad de cuidar aspectos metodológicos esenciales, y de informar de estadísticos que permitan una estimación más fiable de la eficacia. Pese a ello, la tendencia de las tres estrategias es positiva, donde las intervenciones basadas en feedback son las de mayor efecto.

This paper sets out to analyse the role of axiological variables — values, pro-environmental identity and moral obligation — in pro-environmental behaviours. To do this, we carried out two studies with a non-experimental cross-sectional design: the first on sustainable clothing consumption ( n = 480; 70.6% women; M_age = 26.62, SD = 10.63) and the second on the adoption of a vegetarian lifestyle ( n = 217; 73.5% women; M_age = 32.04, SD = 10.75). The data were collected in Spain by means of an online questionnaire using the snowball technique. In both studies, regression analysis showed that pro-environmental identity and moral obligation predict both sustainable clothing consumption and vegetarian lifestyle. Moral obligation is the main predictor of both pro-environmental behaviours. The axiological variables explain 53% of the variance for sustainable clothing consumption and 41% of the variance for a vegetarian lifestyle, highlighting that the axiological route is key to reversing our impact on the environment.