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Understanding water consumption trends across income groups before, during and after the 2015-2018 Cape Town drought
This paper examines trends in household water consumption before, during and after the 2015–2018 Cape Town drought across different income groups. Using panel regression methods, the study investigates whether water consumption rebounded to pre-drought levels following the crisis and explores the ke...
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| Other Authors: | |
| Format: | Thesis |
| Language: | English English |
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School of Economics
2026
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| _version_ | 1869483671448190976 |
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| access_status_str | Open Access |
| author | Dunn, Micaela Ann |
| author2 | Visser, Martine |
| author_browse | Dunn, Micaela Ann Visser, Martine |
| author_facet | Visser, Martine Dunn, Micaela Ann |
| author_sort | Dunn, Micaela Ann |
| collection | Thesis |
| description | This paper examines trends in household water consumption before, during and after the 2015–2018 Cape Town drought across different income groups. Using panel regression methods, the study investigates whether water consumption rebounded to pre-drought levels following the crisis and explores the key factors shaping consumption behaviour under conditions of scarcity and recovery. The empirical approach combines descriptive analysis with a static correlated random-effects model for the pre-drought period and dynamic fixed-effects models with lagged consumption for the drought and post-drought periods. Drawing on insights from the behavioural and environmental economics literature, the quantitative results are interpreted within a broader framework of habit formation and behavioural adjustment. Overall, the findings indicate that water consumption does not fully return to pre-drought levels across income groups. Income (proxied by quintile property value), seasonality, precipitation, temperature and past consumption behaviour are all found to significantly influence water use before, during and after the drought. |
| format | Thesis |
| id | oai:open.uct.ac.za:11427/43393 |
| institution | University of Cape Town (South Africa) |
| language | English eng |
| last_indexed | 2026-07-01T04:02:42.401Z |
| license_str | Not specified — see source repository |
| provenance_str_mv | Harvested via OAI-PMH from UCTD — University of Cape Town Open Access Repository |
| publishDate | 2026 |
| publishDateRange | 2026 |
| publishDateSort | 2026 |
| publisher | School of Economics |
| publisherStr | School of Economics |
| record_format | dspace |
| source_str | UCTD — University of Cape Town Open Access Repository |
| spelling | oai:open.uct.ac.za:11427/43393 Understanding water consumption trends across income groups before, during and after the 2015-2018 Cape Town drought Dunn, Micaela Ann Visser, Martine water drought This paper examines trends in household water consumption before, during and after the 2015–2018 Cape Town drought across different income groups. Using panel regression methods, the study investigates whether water consumption rebounded to pre-drought levels following the crisis and explores the key factors shaping consumption behaviour under conditions of scarcity and recovery. The empirical approach combines descriptive analysis with a static correlated random-effects model for the pre-drought period and dynamic fixed-effects models with lagged consumption for the drought and post-drought periods. Drawing on insights from the behavioural and environmental economics literature, the quantitative results are interpreted within a broader framework of habit formation and behavioural adjustment. Overall, the findings indicate that water consumption does not fully return to pre-drought levels across income groups. Income (proxied by quintile property value), seasonality, precipitation, temperature and past consumption behaviour are all found to significantly influence water use before, during and after the drought. 2026-06-26T07:11:15Z 2026-06-26T07:11:15Z 2026 2026-06-26T07:07:38Z Thesis / Dissertation Masters MCom http://hdl.handle.net/11427/43393 en eng application/pdf School of Economics Faculty of Commerce University of Cape Town |
| spellingShingle | water drought Dunn, Micaela Ann Understanding water consumption trends across income groups before, during and after the 2015-2018 Cape Town drought |
| thesis_degree_str | Master's |
| title | Understanding water consumption trends across income groups before, during and after the 2015-2018 Cape Town drought |
| title_full | Understanding water consumption trends across income groups before, during and after the 2015-2018 Cape Town drought |
| title_fullStr | Understanding water consumption trends across income groups before, during and after the 2015-2018 Cape Town drought |
| title_full_unstemmed | Understanding water consumption trends across income groups before, during and after the 2015-2018 Cape Town drought |
| title_short | Understanding water consumption trends across income groups before, during and after the 2015-2018 Cape Town drought |
| title_sort | understanding water consumption trends across income groups before during and after the 2015 2018 cape town drought |
| topic | water drought |
| url | http://hdl.handle.net/11427/43393 |
| work_keys_str_mv | AT dunnmicaelaann understandingwaterconsumptiontrendsacrossincomegroupsbeforeduringandafterthe20152018capetowndrought |