The objective of this study is to define an efficient pricing scheme for irrigation water in conditions of unmetered water use. The study is based on a principal-agent model and identifies a menu of contracts, defined as a set of payments and share of irrigated area, able to provide incentives for an efficient use of the resource by maximizing social welfare. The model is applied in the case study of the Çukas region (Albania) where irrigation water is not metered. The results demonstrate that using a menu of contracts makes it possible to define a second best solution that may improve the overall social welfare derived from irrigation water use compared with the existing pricing structure, though, in the specific case study, the improvement is small. Furthermore, the results also suggest that irrigation water pricing policy needs to take into account different farm types, and that appropriate contract-type pricing schemes have a potential role in providing incentives to farmers to make irrigation choices to the social optimum.

Addressing the interconnected challenges of food security, climate change, and population growth requires innovative and adaptive approaches to sustainable agriculture. Agricultural best management practices (BMPs) provide a promising framework for enhancing resilience, improving resource efficiency, and promoting biodiversity. However, the effectiveness of BMPs’ implementation largely depends on their alignment with local environmental, social, and economic conditions. This study presents a novel methodology for selecting and implementing BMPs based on stakeholder preferences, ensuring solutions are contextually relevant and widely accepted. Developed within the European Commission-funded WATDEV project, this methodology integrates a bottom-up and top-down decision-making framework, incorporating the perspectives of farmers, policymakers, and experts. The approach has been tested in four East African countries: Kenya, Ethiopia, Sudan, and Egypt, demonstrating its adaptability across diverse agroecological settings. Through a structured assessment involving stakeholder engagement, data-driven BMP selection, and participatory decision support tools, the study identifies and prioritizes BMPs that optimize water use, soil conservation, and climate resilience. Findings highlight that community-driven BMP selection enhances adoption rates and ensures solutions are technically feasible, economically viable, and environmentally sustainable. The methodology provides a scalable blueprint for integrating stakeholder preferences into agricultural planning, offering valuable insights for policymakers, researchers, and practitioners working toward sustainable food systems in East Africa and beyond.

Treated wastewater reuse is a valuable water source in water scarcity conditions. If its technical feasibility is largely demonstrated, less attention is paid to the economic assessment. By applying an ex-post Cost-Benefit Analysis to Ouardanine irrigation district, in eastern Tunisia, the economic feasibility of wastewater treatment and reuse in irrigation was assessed. Data on costs and benefits