Water scarcity, household practices, and conservation awareness in district Karak, Pakistan

Many regions of the world face water scarcity. To assist conservation, it is important to understand how communities in these localities use and manage water in daily life. This study analyzes water shortage in District Karak, Pakistan, and how households cope with water shortages by using a quantitative survey method. The study investigates a range of domestic everyday activities such as drinking, cooking, shampooing, washing clothes, cleaning, gardening and their patterns of water use in the households. Household coping strategies were documented using a structured interviewing schedule and analyzed using descriptive statistics and inferential tests to examine the association between awareness and coping practices. The study contributes new evidence by applying Social Practice Theory to explain how routine behaviors, cultural meanings, and limited competencies shape water wastage under persistent scarcity in District Karak. Moreover, a total 399 adult household members were interviewed using an interviewing schedule. Correspondingly, the study employed both a descriptive analysis and inferential statistical analysis to measure effects of knowledge and awareness on conservation behavior. According to the results, half of the participants conserve water sometimes. One-third said they left the tap running while brushing teeth or face washing. Furthermore, participants recognize awareness triggers water related behavior. Similarly, inferential analysis confirmed that relationship between awareness and water saving practices is significant. Likewise, the study highlights that water shortage in District Karak is not solely due to low availability of natural resources but also due to daily practices, low awareness, and weak infrastructure of residents. Finally, the findings suggest that encouraging communities to conserve water will strengthen water-saving practices at the household level and mitigate the issue of water scarcity.