Environmental responsibility and positive emotions, as key factors in shaping optimal consumer behaviors and management decisions, can have a significant impact on preserving and reducing water crises in different societies. This study aimed to investigate the effect of environmental responsibility, risk perception, and positive emotions on water conservation behavior.

Using the correlation and causality method and structural equation modeling, the relationships between key research variables were analyzed. The statistical population was all urban water consumers in Tabriz, and data were collected through a questionnaire and analyzed with SPSS 26 and STATA 17 software.

Based on the results, environmental responsibility and risk perception have a positive and significant effect on positive emotions, and positive emotions play a mediating role in promoting water conservation behaviors. Water conservation behaviors are the result of the interaction of psychological and social factors, and strengthening the sense of environmental responsibility and awareness of risks can strengthen positive environmental behaviors. Based on the results, several policy recommendations were made, including: creating public awareness campaigns, encouraging responsibility through financial and non-financial incentives, and promoting positive environmental behaviors through formal education, which can help improve environmental behaviors and reduce excessive water consumption.