Environmental Economist Sebastian Tonke Honored

Is it more information about their own water usage, specific tips for saving water, or financial incentives that could motivate people to use less water? 

In a large-scale study involving 4,000 households, he is investigating which measures are effective—and for whom. He will receive the 2026 Joachim Herz Award for his research project WETTER. On average, each person in Germany consumes 126 liters of drinking water per day. Although Germany has sufficient water resources overall, climate change could lead to more frequent regional and seasonal shortages in the future. This makes the question of how to use drinking water more efficiently all the more important.

Consumers themselves are a key starting point: About 80 percent of drinking water in Germany is consumed in private households and small businesses. But which measures actually lead people to change their behavior?

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What incentives help people conserve water?

Prof. Dr. Sebastian Tonke of the Technical University of Munich is exploring this question through his research project WETTER (Water Efficiency through Technology, Targeting, and Experimental Research). To this end, 4,000 households will be equipped with digital water meters over a two-year period. These meters record drinking water consumption in near real time. Through a smartphone app, participating households can immediately see how much water they are using. But Tonke doesn’t just want to know whether this transparency changes consumption. The households also receive various prompts—such as specific water-saving tips, feedback on their usage, or financial incentives.

This allows Tonke to compare: Which measures actually reduce water consumption? In which households do they work particularly well? And why?

What can water utilities learn from this research?

The answers to these questions are not intended to help only the participating households. Tonke aims to gain insights that can be applied on a larger scale. Based on the results, water utilities and policymakers could implement measures in a more targeted manner: Which interventions are worthwhile? Which households should they target? And how can the most drinking water be saved using the most effective measures possible? In this way, the research could help reduce water consumption in the long term and make the drinking water supply more resilient in the face of climate change.

The findings could also be relevant beyond the water sector. After all, a similar question arises with other resources: What motivates people to change their consumption? Findings from WETTER could therefore also be of interest in the future for managing electricity or gas consumption.

About Sebastian Tonke

Sebastian Tonke is a professor of environmental economics at the TUM School of Life Sciences and the TUM School of Management. His research lies at the intersection of environmental and behavioral economics. He investigates how people respond to different incentives and policy measures—and how this knowledge can be used to address environmental problems more effectively.

With WETTER, he applies this approach to drinking water consumption. The goal is not merely to determine whether a measure works; it is also crucial to understand for whom it works and why.

Joachim Herz Award Enables Large-Scale Study

Sebastian Tonke is receiving the 2026 Joachim Herz Award for implementing WETTER. With the award money of 500,000 euros, he will be able to carry out the research project involving 4,000 households.