Water Saving Behaviors in Agriculture within the Framework of Norm Activation Model

Today, sustainable water use has become a critical policy area, as dynamics such as increasing global water demand, water scarcity, and climate change directly affect agricultural production. In this study, the role of psychological and social factors in explaining water-saving behaviors in agricultural production was examined based on the Norm Activation Model (NAM); the model was extended with the environmental concern (EC) variable. Within the scope of the field study carried out in Konya province, the relationships between farmers' "Awareness of Results", "Situational Responsibility", "Effectiveness of Outputs", "Ability", "Guilt", and "Pride" emotions and personal norms (PN) and the effect of PN on water saving behaviors (WCB) were measured. In addition, the direct and indirect effects of EC on both PN and WCB were analyzed. Structural equation modeling performed using SmartPLS revealed that the extended NAM increased its explanatory power by approximately 2.5% compared to the original model. The findings show that determining the psychological factors that support the efficient use of water in agricultural production plays an essential role in both individual behavioral changes and in developing strategic recommendations for policymakers. The study points out that environmental sensitivity and normative approaches should be taken into account in interventions aimed at increasing the sustainability of water management policies and agricultural irrigation practices.