Using water insecurity to predict domestic water demand in the Palestinian West Bank

Abstract

Household interviews were conducted in the Palestinian West Bank to examine the relationship between price elasticity, water insecurity and domestic water demand. Water insecurity weights were defined and quantified for each household for use in a multivariate regression model. The model demonstrated that (1) a water insecurity variable improves the ability to estimate price elasticity and that (2) increased water insecurity leads to higher levels of household water demand. The findings suggest that policy-makers can influence domestic water demand by addressing the supply constraints that underlie domestic water insecurity.