Understanding Behavior

Technological solutions succeed only when human behavior aligns with them. TULIP weaves social-science research into every work package to uncover why antibiotics are over-used, why plastics are mismanaged and why water is handled the way it is. Surveys and interviews explore beliefs about illness, convenience, cost, and social norms; economic analyses reveal market forces that nudge choices toward single-use plastics or prophylactic animal antibiotics; behavioral experiments test how information, incentives and peer-support shift everyday practices.

These insights feed directly into intervention design. For example, if fishermen discard plastic nets because repair services are scarce, a micro-grant scheme for local menders may outperform stricter fines. If farmers rely on antibiotics as “insurance” against heat-stress infections, climate-smart husbandry training could reduce drug use more sustainably than regulation alone. By tackling the motivations behind actions, TULIP crafts solutions that communities embrace and maintain—ensuring that environmental gains endure long after project timelines end.