Hinduism and H2O

“It is a very good idea to have these talks on Hinduism and nature because it is fundamental to what we believe. Conservation and preservation is the core of our lives and every Hindu has this duty to respect nature.” (Focus Group Participant)

Aim:

London Sustainability Exchange (LSx) and Thames Water were testing how effective faith beliefs can be in encouraging Londoners to lead more environmentally friendly lifestyles, specifically in reducing water consumption.

Audience:

Hindi, Gujarati, Punjabi and Tamil speaking members of the Hindu Community in the London Boroughs of: Newham, Redbridge,Greenwich, Tower Hamlets, Hackney and Waltham Forest.

Activities & outputs:

• Temple Talks and workshops
• Coffee evening sessions with Women's groups
• Art based children activities
• Participation at festivals

Motivators identified:

• Faith / theological links
• Language
• Water saving techniques / support & devices available

Barriers identified:

• Language
• Lack of awareness of water saving techniques
• Time constraint

Monitoring and evaluation:

Quantitative:   Self-reported changes
                         Self recorded water diaries
                         Number of water efficiency devices (Save-a-
                         flushes/butts) requested

Qualitative:      Number of free audits provided

                         Focus groups                    

Outcomes:

• LSX interacted with more than 2800 representatives of the east London Hindu community
• 520 pledges were made to use water more efficiently
• 264 pledges were made to take on other environmentally friendly actions
• 35% of the participants expressed an interest in getting further involved, 40% were interested in greening their lifestyles, and 25% felt that the activities provided valuable information
• Water diaries indicated a decrease in water use

Top Tips to Share:

1.       Work with community champions

2.       Allow time to develop a good relationship with the community and community leaders

3.       Use ongoing community events and activities to carry out your outreach activities

4.       Make relevant links: theological

5.       Use culturally appropriate channels

6.       Use imagery and translated messages wherever possible

7.       Keep the messages simple

 

Click here to download the report on Water Efficiency in Diverse Communities.

Click here to find out about phrase 2 of the project.