Impact of news media on residential water consumption

Abstract

Republic of Korea (ROK) undergoes water crisis every year due to consecutive droughts and increasing residential water consumption. Both central and local governments have spent large amount of budget on water and sewer infrastructures to secure water resource as well as informed the water crisis to increase public awareness by campaigns. These efforts, however, are insufficient because residential water consumption in ROK is consistently increasing. Overall, ROK is still immature to induce residents less consume. Studies on residential water consumption are, therefore, still needed and important at this moment. This paper aims to examine if news media exposure of water crisis affects residential water consumption. It initially explores many factors of residential water consumption that are verified in the previous literatures. It, then, notifies the current trend which discusses if non-economic influences may control the residential water consumption. This paper, in accordance with current research trend, suggests a non-economic influence, media exposure, and empirically demonstrates if it brings about changes in residential water consumption.