Water Consumption Demarketing Strategies with Reference to the Gaza Strip, Palestine

摘要

It is widely recognized that many countries are entering an era of severe water shortage. The Gaza Strip (GS) in Palestine is among regions with the scarcest water resources and where supplies barely meet the needs of the population. Priority in resolving this problem has always been given to reducing water consumption. Very few previous studies have reported on using the "demarketing" approach to enhancing water conservation practices, with none taking place in Palestine. Thus, this empirical study aims to identify the main items of the marketing mix for demarketing water consumption in the GS in an attempt to alleviate the water shortage problem. A questionnaire was developed to collect primary data regarding factors affecting the demarketing of water consumption in the GS. The questionnaire was distributed to 400 users who were randomly selected. Findings of this study suggested prioritizing strategies based on the mean values of each marketing mix factor. A promotion strategy designed to create awareness concerning the economic and social benefits of demarketing water consumption was ranked first, while other strategies related to water distribution (place), price, and product were ranked second, third, and fourth, respectively. Implications for decision-and policymakers were stated as prioritized interventions for each strategy according to the respondents' answers.