Understanding Household Water-Use Behavior and Consumption Patterns during COVID-19 Lockdown in Saudi Arabia

With the COVID-19 lockdown impacting the livelihood of people globally, changes in household behaviors, water consumption patterns, etc., have implications on sanitation, hygiene, and disease control. An online questionnaire survey was conducted, and officials were interviewed to assess the impact o...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:Water (Basel) 2022-02, Vol.14 (3), p.314
Main Authors: Almulhim, Abdulaziz I, Aina, Yusuf A
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
Coronaviruses
COVID-19
Developing countries
Disaster management
Disease control
Emergency preparedness
Health aspects
Households
Hygiene
LDCs
Management
Metropolitan areas
Multiple regression analysis
Polls & surveys
Sanitation
Saudi Arabia
Shelter in place
Social factors
Socioeconomic factors
Socioeconomics
Surveys
United Kingdom
Water
Water consumption
Water management
Water supply
Water use
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Summary:With the COVID-19 lockdown impacting the livelihood of people globally, changes in household behaviors, water consumption patterns, etc., have implications on sanitation, hygiene, and disease control. An online questionnaire survey was conducted, and officials were interviewed to assess the impact of the lockdown on water consumption patterns in the Dammam Metropolitan Area, Saudi Arabia. The multiple regression analysis on responses from the survey indicates that water consumption increased by 50% in 86% of the respondents, leading to higher utility bills. Socioeconomic factors also influenced water consumption. The officials interviewed emphasized the need for integrating water policies with disaster management actions. This study contributes to the prospering empirical literature on the pandemic COVID-19 and water consumption/usage behavioral practices by exploring the behavior of household water during COVID-19 in Saudi Arabia. This study can help decision-makers in Saudi Arabia and other developing countries in boosting awareness related to water management in crisis time.
ISSN:2073-4441
2073-4441
DOI:10.3390/w14030314