Social Capital and Water Conservation Behavior among University Students in Egypt

Abstract

Water represents national security issue in Egypt due to population rising, agricultural expansion, industrial development and recently the construction of the Ethiopian Great Dam. Facing such communal issues is affected by the levels of social capital. The Egyptian government guaranteed water conservation by issuing laws to be officially implemented. This paper examines water conservation strategies as environmentally sustainable commitment of embracing new activities, gaining behavioral norms, and getting used to saving water as unrenewable resource for life. Social capital is the relationship in which individuals can obtain information, knowledge, and resources through social networks, shared norms and values, and trust. It required measuring the effect of people’s attitudes based on the above three categories and finding sound solutions involved changing water saving behaviors. The researchers explored how social capital standards could be carried out by Egyptian youth in an effective manner through conducting 400 questionnaires using 'convenience sample' distributing them among MSA university students measuring the relationship between social capital (individual engagement and participation) and water conservation behavior. The study found that horizontal social bonding and bridging between family and friends is stronger than vertical linkage of strangers and neighbors’ social networks among MSA students. There are weak ties within social capital networks which affect negatively the water conservation behavior. Results also showed that the impact of social capital in shared norms and values reveals less self-sustaining solutions regarding water saving behavior. Recommendations are concluded built on the fact that impact of TV and radio have great influence of more than the demographic orientation (home and friends) in strengthening water conservation behavior regarding sharing knowledge, purpose, and vision. Ironically, students expressed that they did not hear about water saving behavior from university, a fact that needs further initiatives.