Exploring the Living Lab approach for developing sustainable wastewater treatment and reuse systems in Mediterranean agriculture

In the water-poor Mediterranean region, people have always had to cope with scarcity, developing adaptation strategies to meet their essential needs. However, the adaptation capacities in place are put to the test by climate change, unsustainable water use and wastage, contributing to the depletion of the resources when water needs driven by economic and demographic growth are ever-increasing (MedECC, 2019). Agriculture, is foremost leading to the unsustainable exploitation of surface and groundwater resources. Addressing the lack of water efficiency, achieving a greater mobilization of non-conventional water resources and an adequate reuse in irrigated agriculture, have a significant potential to enrich supply, preserve resources and contribute to restore groundwater capacities. This paper will outline the basic concept of Living Labs and its usability to overcome several constraints that hinder the intensification of wastewater treatment and reuse in agriculture, and to ensure the adoption of innovations is successful, sustained and scaled. The Living Lab approach will help take into account the needs and address the concerns of different user groups when developing new techniques, technologies and rules, or adapting existing ones. In the ENI CBC MED project MENAWARA, seven Living Labs in Italy, Jordan, Palestine, Spain and Tunisia are under implementation.