Individual environmental awareness and urban water conservation in Kunming, China

Although the majority of water use in China occurs in the countryside, the responsibility for water conservation flows from the urban population centers outward. This research employs surveys of urban residents in Kunming, Yunnan Province in order to illustrate China´s urban centers´ growing impact on water conservation. This study determines what contributes to effective environmental awareness and analyzes the relationship between an individual´s awareness and his or her in-home water conservation methods. The results show that first-hand environmental awareness is significantly more effective in encouraging conservation than is traditional environmental education. In addition, the survey reveals a pervasive lack of awareness in urban Kunming, with only 4 percent and 13 percent of respondents correctly identifying the price and source of their water, respectively. Only 59 percent of those surveyed believed they could have any influence in solving China´s water crisis-a statistic that must change in order to promote greater urban water conservation.