Analyzing green behavior and the rational use of water in Portuguese higher education campi

Abstract

In the forthcoming years Portugal expects to be an increasingly hot and dry country dealing with the risk of water scarcity. According to the Portuguese Institute for Sea and Atmosphere data, annual precipitation values have decreased 20 mm/decade. On the other hand, it is also verified that the periods of rain occur in a shorter interval, although more intensively. Water scarcity is one of the major challenges reflected in the UN 6th Sustainable Development Goal. Higher Education Institutions (HEIs), as places of responsibility in preparing future leaders, must have strong sustainability policies, namely through the implementation of water efficiency measures on their campi. The main aim of this work was to evaluate water consumption and the good practices that the different HEIs have implemented on their campi to improve and promote green and sustainable behaviors, and to calculate water efficiency indicators associated with each HEI. The data were collected through a survey completed by eight HEIs distributed throughout the country. The results show that some institutions have already been implementing measures for water efficiency and have developed some activities with the academic and surrounding community. The range of values calculated for the indicators is large and there is not a strong correlation between them. Per capita consumption values vary between 1.8 and 23.5 L/(person·day), the differences being explained mostly by campus characteristics, namely: green areas; water sources for irrigation; age of buildings; and the existence of facilities on campus such as residences and sports facilities. Nevertheless, the consumption per capita values are generally lower than those found in the literature for equivalent institutions. Given the growing concern with water scarcity, sharing this kind of information among institutions may contribute to improving water efficiency.