Bedouins choice behavior toward the desalinated water in Halaib, Egypt

Insufficiency of water is a growing global problem challenging sustainable development due to its limited water resources. This research aimed to 1) know about Bedouins' sources and uses of water in the Halaib study's area, 2) explore Bedouins’ choice behavior towards desalinated water using consumption value theory, 3) determine factors related to Bedouins’ choice behavior, and 4) determine the reasons for water contamination and propose solutions. Data were collected from a sample of 153 Bedouins through personal interviews using a questionnaire form in November 2021. Data were analyzed and presented using frequency, mean, and step-wise regression analysis. The reliability of the questionnaire (0.864) was estimated by Cronbach’s alpha. The results showed that desalinated water was the most popular clean water source in the examined area and that it was crucial for providing people with safe water. All Bedouins (100%) prefer using desalinated water for cleaning, animal watering, and irrigation. The mean score of respondents’ perception of function value price is 5.78 (96.3% of the total score); the social value is 4.78 (79.67%); the function value quality is 4.57 (76.17%); and the emotional value is 4.49 (74.83%). The quality of the function value explains about 59.1% of the variance in Bedouins' choice behavior towards desalinated water, while the social value accounts for about 12.1% and the emotional value accounts for about 3.6%. There was sufficient evidence to disprove H4, H6, and H7. The results were used to provide suggestions for further research.