Can Culture Guide Policy? Religious Messaging and Adaptation to Water Scarcity in Jordan

This paper tests whether culture can drive policy. I study a religious messaging intervention promoting water conservation in Jordan, where rising scarcity makes behavioral change urgent. I randomly assigned women attending religious classes to receive messaging on the sanctity of water in Islam or on an unrelated religious topic. The design held constant leader identity and nonreligious information. After three months, treated women reduced objectively measured water consumption by 18%. Exploring mechanisms, the messages work by instilling religious beliefs about water, especially those firmly rooted in the religious canon. In contrast, I observe a backlash against new practices, such as treated water adoption. Treatment effects are strongest when religious leaders emphasize moral responsibility over ritual practice. My findings provide new evidence on both the power and limits of harnessing culture to strengthen policy effectiveness.