Assessment of the acceptability of wastewater reuse for irrigation of green spaces by residents of the Rabat-Salé-Kénitra region: an analysis based on Ajzen's Theory of Planned Behavior (TPB)
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Designing more resilient cities is becoming increasingly essential to protect present and future generations in the face of growing pressure on water resources. Alternative solutions are emerging, such as seawater desalination and treated wastewater reuse (TWR). Several pioneering cities around the world have integrated recycled wastewater management while facing significant public resistance. Morocco, one of the drought-affected countries in the Middle East and North Africa, faces a severe water shortage due to declining rainfall and intensifying water demand pressure. To address this, several plans and programs have been developed to promote the reuse of treated wastewater, particularly for non-food uses. The purpose of this article is to analyze the factors influencing the acceptability of the REUT project for the irrigation of green spaces in the Rabat-Salé-Kénitra region, based on Ajzen's Theory of Planned Behavior (TPB) model. This model is extended by the integration of the variable “perceived barriers,” which includes perceived health risks, lack of trust in authorities, and the sensory aspect of water. The study is based on a structured questionnaire survey consisting of twenty questions, with a total of 201 responses. Through correlation and regression analyses, we examine the relationships between acceptability and the variables of the TPB model. The results reveal differentiated acceptability depending on the type of use, with high acceptability for the irrigation of green spaces. The validity of the TPB model is partially confirmed: perceived usefulness has a significant positive effect on the acceptability of REUT, while subjective norm appears to be ...
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