Individual water consumption: Systematic literature review and research agenda

Faced with climate challenges and increasing demand for water, it is crucial to understand consumer behavior regarding water use in order to formulate effective strategies for the preservation of this resource. In this context, a systematic literature review on individual water consumption is conducted. Thus, 183 articles published in recognized management science journals were rigorously collected and analyzed. A conceptual model was built from the five main themes emerging from the analysis of the selected articles: (1) consumer-related (intrinsic) antecedents, (2) environment-related (extrinsic) antecedents, (3) water consumption practices, (4) water conservation practices, and (5) influence strategies to preserve water resources. This systematic literature review provides, on the one hand, reasonably clear and objective conclusions on the current state of knowledge and, on the other hand, makes it possible to identify gaps which are all avenues for research. Consequently, a research agenda on individual water consumption is proposed. It integrates societal and managerial implications in order to suggest to water stakeholders how they can support consumers in their transition toward more responsible use of water.