Journal of Water and Wastewater; Ab va Fazilab (in persian)

Journal of Water and Wastewater; Ab va Fazilab (in persian)

Designing a Water Consumption Demarketing Model

Document Type : Research Paper

Authors
1 PhD. Student, Dept. of Management, Deh.C, Islamic Azad University, Isfahan, Iran
2 Assoc. Prof., Dept. of Management, Deh.C, Islamic Azad University, Isfahan, Iran
3 Assist. Prof., Dept. of Management, Deh.C, Islamic Azad University, Isfahan, Iran
10.22093/wwj.2026.588408.3561
Abstract
Demarketing as an emerging approach in the field of marketing, focuses on the concept of managing, directing, and reducing demand in conditions of imbalance between supply and demand. Demarketing attempts to guide consumer behavior towards responsible and sustainable consumption through economic, cultural, social, educational, and political tools. On the other hand, the water crisis in Iran has become one of the most important environmental, economic, and social challenges in the country, and the inefficiency of traditional supply management approaches has made the necessity of using new demand management strategies more evident than ever. Therefore, the aim of the present study is to design a Demarketing model in water consumption and identify the dimensions and components that affect it. This study is applied in terms of purpose and qualitative in terms of research method. Data were collected and analyzed through interviews with experts in the field of water. The results of data analysis led to the extraction of 674 initial codes, the organization of concepts in the form of 36 categories, and their integration into 7 main dimensions, which became the main basis of the model. The findings showed that water consumption Demarketing requires a coordinated interaction of economic, cultural, social, managerial, and political factors, and water consumption Demarketing is not simply a tool for reducing consumption, but rather a strategy for achieving water resource sustainability, reducing social conflicts, and improving the environmental situation. The results also showed that none of the aforementioned strategies alone is able to solve the water crisis, and their real effectiveness is achieved when these tools are used in a coherent and coordinated system. The presented model can be used as a framework for policymaking, planning, and water consumption management, and provides the basis for promoting responsible consumption behavior, increasing public awareness, and the sustainability of water resources.
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