Sustainable Water Resources Management: Role of Environmental Knowledge and Concern Toward Behavioral Consumption Patterns

ABSTRACT

Sustainable water consumption (SC) is critical for safeguarding water resources and achieving long‐term environmental goals. This study investigates how environmental knowledge (EK) and environmental concern (EC) influence SC, examining the mediating role of attitudes toward water resource management (AWRM) and the moderating role of perceived water quality (PWQ) within the Theory of Planned Behavior (TPB) framework. Data were collected from 336 respondents in rural and peri‐urban communities across Nanjing, Wuxi, and Zhenjiang (Jiangsu Province, China) between May 2022 and March 2023. Using Partial Least Squares Structural Equation Modeling (PLS‐SEM), we find that both EK and EC significantly enhance SC, both directly and indirectly through AWRM. Moreover, PWQ significantly moderates the AWRM–SC link, suggesting that higher water quality perception strengthens pro‐environmental intent. This study contributes theoretically by extending TPB to integrate cognitive, affective, and perceptual dimensions. Practically, it highlights behavioral levers for policy interventions: fostering environmental concern and knowledge, improving trust in water governance, and enhancing water quality perception. These insights support targeted strategies to promote sustainable behaviors and advance the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), particularly SDG 6, SDG 12, and SDG 13.