Val d’Orcia, a UNESCO World Heritage cultural landscape, has a strong agricultural and touristic vocation. Traditionally rainfed, its predominant tree crops—vineyards and olive groves—now require supplemental irrigation due to climate change. The region has several small agricultural reservoirs, which remain largely underutilized. Their rehabilitation is essential for increasing irrigation water supply, yet economic, technical, and legislative barriers hinder their adoption.
The AG-WaMED project proposes an integrated and innovative water management framework that incorporates non-conventional water sources into allocation strategies. Through a participatory approach, it engages key stakeholders to explore solutions such as wastewater reuse and optimizing rainwater storage in currently unmanaged reservoirs.
The Living Lab focuses on overcoming challenges related to the use and governance of rainwater reservoirs, serving as a model for co-produced water management plans. The approach developed in AG-WaMED can be replicated in similar contexts across Europe and beyond, demonstrating how adaptive strategies can enhance water resilience in climate-vulnerable agricultural landscapes.
