AN EXPLORATORY STUDY ON ENERGY AND WATER SUSTAINABLE CONSUMPTION BEHAVIORS OF RURAL CONSUMERS IN EGYPT

Abstract

This research addresses two of Egypt‟s prominent challenges during the current phase of hardship, namely, energy and water scarcity. According to the International Energy Agency (2015) report, Egypt has been suffering from a decline in energy production due to shortages in natural gas supply and oil production being unable to keep up with the energy demand, where the Egyptian Electric Holding Company's annual report of showed the main consumer of electricity in Egypt is the residential sector which accounts for 44.2% of the total consumption. On the other hand, EcoMENA stated that Egypt faces an annual deficit of water of around 7 billion cubic meters, they also mentioned that the United Nations is warning that the country could run out of the water by 2025. Furthermore, The Egyptian Ministry of Water and Irrigation's (2014) report on water scarcity in Egypt demonstrated that the agricultural sector contributes about 20% to Gross Domestic Product (GDP) in the Egyptian economy, and provides about 40% of total employment. Such sector consumes over 85% of the total demand on water. In view of such increase in the domestic demand on energy and water, and the fact that the development of Egypt's economy strongly depends on its ability to conserve and manage its water resources, the need for research into the underlying factors behind the energy and water consumption patterns is increasing, yet, studies conducted in the Egyptian context with regards to sustainable consumption are basically focused on sustainable purchases with no regard to conservation behavior, and had minimal to no focus on energy and water