Community knowledge about water: Who has better water-related knowledge and is this important?

Integrated water management involves integrating investment, policy, and technological solutions to pursue water security and waterway protection. Many water management approaches promote engaging with the community – not only for targeting household water demand or individual behaviours, but as a means of cultivating trust in reform processes and building support for new policies or investment. Engagement activities are more successful when aligned with the communities’ existing knowledge. Identifying community knowledge about water related issues is an essential precursor of effective community engagement. The two studies presented here aim to assess Australians’ water-related knowledge and examine the individual and contextual factors that influence this knowledge.