The water industry is facing challenges because of population increases and the resulting development of agricultural operations. Alternative resources that balance the environment, the economy, and society while lessening the strain on limited water supplies will need to be adopted by farmers. One possibility addressing this dilemma is wastewater reuse. The adoption of Reg. (EU) 2020/741 necessitates a paradigm change by moving away from the “fit-for-all” strategy and toward the “fit-for-purpose” approach, which is now regarded as the foundation of the reuse supply chain. However, despite progress, appropriate rules that clearly and concisely outline the procedures to be followed are still needed. Thus, to establish an interdisciplinary and cooperative research agenda, this study tackles the potential and forces behind change by concentrating on tactics for long-term fixes. The need to look at consumer and farmer acceptability as well as the overall environmental advantages of carbon footprint reduction and wastewater fertigation are interesting research avenues. Nutrient-rich streams in agriculture may increase carbon absorption and reduce greenhouse gas emissions from the soil while simultaneously serving as a fertilizer substitute. The literature suggests that additional research is necessary to fully explore the significant economic potential.

In the context of climate change, one of the EU’s major political efforts focus on water management. Public investment is carried out considering several drivers, from economic development to demographics, climate, and pollutants. Meanwhile, the need for evaluation methods is also increasing, so their development has grown in recent years. Among these, Multi-Criteria Analysis methodologies (MCA) have taken on great importance. This work aims to demonstrate the usefulness of MCA in addressing crucial environmental issues, such as the use of water resources for agricultural and food production. The document presents an application of MCA for the ranking and selection of projects to be financed under the Italian National Plan on Water Resources. The Plan is part of the national initiatives planned for the adaptation of the agricultural sector to climate change. The selection criteria have been identified following a participatory approach, and to respond to both the challenge of climate change and the limited availability of funds. MCA is used to select the best projects to be financed with the available amount. The Italian experience confirms the effectiveness of MCA and highlights how the involvement of both decision makers and stakeholders is necessary for a successful application of MCA to environmental issues.

Mediterranean agriculture is increasingly constrained by severe and recurrent water scarcity. Rising temperatures, declining precipitation, and more frequent droughts are driving higher crop water demand and reducing rainfall reliability. Combined with growing competition for limited freshwater resources, these climatic pressures pose a major challenge to the long-term sustainability and productivity of farming systems in the region. In this context, urban treated wastewater (UTWW) is increasingly recognized as a strategic alternative resource. Regulation (EU) 2020/741 establishes minimum quality requirements for agricultural water reuse based on the fit-for-purpose principle. The Italian regulatory framework requires regional authorities to plan water reuse by mapping reclamation facilities, water demand, and distribution networks. From this perspective, to support the planning process, this study describes the application of a Geographic Information System (GIS)-based methodology to assess the potential for UTWW reuse in Sicily by integrating national datasets (regularly updated) and comparing reclaimed water supply with irrigation demand from both qualitative and quantitative perspectives. UTWW supply was estimated by integrating data from the Italian National Institute of Statistics (ISTAT) Census of Water for Civil Use and the European Environment Agency (EEA) dataset, while irrigation demand was derived by combining Copernicus crop data, ISTAT irrigated-to-total UAA ratios and crop-specific irrigation demand (Seasonal Specific Volumes) derived from the SIGRIAN database. Two scenarios were analyzed for grasslands, vineyards, olive groves, and orchards. Scenario 1 included only wastewater treatment plants (WWTPs) located inside irrigation areas, whereas Scenario 2 also included selected WWTPs located outside irrigation areas where orographic and distance constraints allowed potentially feasible connections. Under Regulation (EU) 2020/741, potential compatibility with the required water quality classes was identified at the screening level for all crop categories considered, which require classes B, C or D. From a quantitative perspective, Scenario 1 identified 19 WWTPs serving 11 out of 38 irrigation areas with an aggregated uncapped demand coverage of 53%; only two areas reached full local demand satisfaction. Scenario 2 added 23 external WWTPs, increased potentially served areas to 20, and raised the aggregate uncapped coverage to 73%. When surplus volumes were capped within each irrigation area, effective demand satisfaction was 12% and 22% in Scenarios 1 and 2, respectively, highlighting the importance of storage, conveyance and inter-area transfer. The results indicate that treated wastewater reuse could contribute to agricultural water security and climate-resilient water management in Mediterranean regions. The framework supports the first-order identification of candidate reuse areas, but site-specific assessments of effluent quality, risk management, costs, and seasonal storage remain necessary before implementation.

This study investigates a water–energy investment in the Consorzio di Bonifica della Romagna Occidentale (Northern Italy) over the period 2015–2022, analysing how integrated irrigation and energy infrastructures can support agricultural resilience. In this area, pressurised irrigation systems are increasingly replacing traditional gravity-fed networks, enabling precise water distribution. However, their energy intensity raises operational costs and exposure to volatile electricity prices. To address these challenges, the research evaluates the coupling of pressurised irrigation with floating photovoltaic (PV) systems on irrigation reservoirs. Using plot-level economic data for vineyards and orchards, the analysis shows that, although pressurised systems entail higher costs in terms of Relative Water Cost (RWC) and Economic Water Productivity Ratio (EWPR), integrating them with PV production significantly improves economic performance. The findings show an average reduction in RWC of 1.44% for vineyards and 5.52% for orchards, and an average increase in EWPR of 38.51 units for vineyards and 24.81 units for orchards. This suggests that combining efficient irrigation systems with renewable energy could represent a viable pathway toward more sustainable water management. Policy implications may concern incentives for joint water–energy investments, adjustments to zero-injection rules, and broader reforms in agricultural, energy, and environmental policies.