By Hana Namrouqa
http://www.jordantimes.com/?news=27618

AMMAN – The results of 11 surveys measuring Jordanians’ behaviours, practices and consumption patterns in the water, energy and solid waste sectors will be announced this week.

The studies, carried out by the USAID-funded Public Action in Water, Energy and Environment Project, aim to analyse people’s behaviour in order to encourage environment-friendly practices.

Project Chief-Of-Party Amer Jabarin said the five-year project entails three phases, noting that the reports are part of the evaluation phase, which started in September last year.

“The results of the studies will lay the foundation of our work in the second phase, which entails designing the project’s programmes and campaigns,” Jabarin told reporters on Saturday, indicating that the second phase will begin in August.

The results of the studies will be announced on Wednesday during a conference at the Dead Sea, which is expected to feature the participation of over 150 stakeholders from the ministries of water, energy, environment and education as well as representatives of international donor agencies, NGOs and private sector firms.

The studies surveyed the knowledge and practices of households of different areas and income levels regarding environment, water and energy issues.

He noted that one survey examined the knowledge and behaviours of managers, maintenance engineers and owners of large institutions in the private and public sectors, while another probed school curricula coverage of water, energy and environmental issues.

The surveys also covered donor agencies operating in Jordan to determine their interest in using a behavioural approach in their activities in the water, energy and environmental sectors.

One of the surveys examined whether vendors promote conservation as part of their marketing, while another covered littering and solid waste management in Amman and Aqaba, according to Jabarin.

A 12th survey, which covers the determinants of behavioural change in Jordan, will be completed later this month, he noted.