1. Education campaigns to reduce stormwater pollution in commercial areas: Do they work?
- Author
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Taylor, Andre, Curnow, Rob, Fletcher, Tim, and Lewis, Justin
- Subjects
Bone morphogenetic proteins ,Environmental issues - Abstract
To link to full-text access for this article, visit this link: http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.jenvman.2006.06.002 Byline: Andre Taylor (a), Rob Curnow (b), Tim Fletcher (a), Justin Lewis (a) Keywords: Behavioral change; Monitoring; Non-structural best management practices (BMPs); Stormwater management Abstract: A monitoring and evaluation program was undertaken, involving six different styles of evaluation to determine whether a low-cost, eight month education campaign that operated within a small commercial district was successful at changing people's behavior and reducing stormwater litter loads. This project also tested newly developed guidelines for monitoring and evaluating all types of non-structural stormwater quality best management practices (BMPs). The project evaluated: the extent and quality of the campaign's implementation; the degree to which it changed the awareness, attitudes, self-reported behavior and actual behavior of merchants and the public; and the nature of changes in stormwater litter loads. Overall, the education campaign produced mixed results, with the net result being modestly positive. Specifically, it was: unsuccessful at significantly influencing the knowledge or attitudes of merchants or the public; modestly successful at influencing the behavior of merchants and the public; and modestly successful at reducing litter loads in stormwater. At a theoretical level, the project highlights how using different 'styles' of BMP evaluation can help to build a more complete picture of a BMP's performance. At a practical level, the project helped to improve the monitoring and evaluation guidelines and produced evidence-based design guidelines for future campaigns that aim to reduce littering in commercial areas. Author Affiliation: (a) Department of Civil Engineering (Institute for Sustainable Water Resources), Monash University, Melbourne, Vic., 3800, Australia (b) Community Change Pty Ltd, Suite 13, The Coolstores, 990 Moorooduc Hwy, Moorooduc, Vic., 3933, Australia Article History: Received 1 November 2005; Revised 6 June 2006; Accepted 6 June 2006
- Published
- 2007