Perceived social risks and farmers’ behavior in using urban wastewater in their farms

Abstract

An alternative source of water in drought conditions is treated urban wastewater which can be used in the cultivation of some crops if properly managed. However, farmers consume it with no regard to its treatment, which will have dangerous consequences for the health of humans and the environment. Accordingly, this research aimed to study farmers' behavior in using urban wastewater considering perceived social risks. The study was conducted on farmers in the Sistan plain, Iran (N = 6000). The sample (361 farmers) was taken by the proportionally allocated stratified randomization technique. The extended Health Belief Model (HBM) was used to investigate the farmers' behavior. The results revealed that perceived social risks (health, environmental, and socio-ethical risks) had significant effects on the HBM components. Also, perceived susceptibility, perceived severity, perceived benefits, perceived barriers, and perceived self-efficacy had positive and significant effects on the farmers' behavior in using urban wastewater. The results may have practical consequences for policymaking and designing interventions for modifying farmers’ behaviors in using urban wastewater.