Replication site

Algeria – Sétif Province

WEFE resource status

The Water-Energy-Food-Ecosystems (WEFE) resources of the KarditsaDS are under combined pressurefrom intensive irrigated agriculture, competing uses of Lake Plastiras and a changing climate. In January 2026, a field mission with DIONYSUS partner ZALF reviewed data on water abstraction, energy consumption and groundwater levels, surveyed land use, cropping patterns and irrigation methods, and sampled soils, establishing the baseline for the project's modelling chain.

Water

Cotton production relies on the overuse of limited water resources. Irrigation water from Lake Plastiras is shared with hydropower generation and with a tourism sector that depends on the water level of the lake, which creates seasonal friction between users. The climate scenarios used by the Action-Panel point to growing scarcity by 2050: the Mediterranean Stabilization Pathway (SSP2-4.5) assumes a temperature increase of 1.5 to 2.5 °C and a 15% reduction in groundwater availability for Lake Plastiras, while the Mediterranean Hotspot Crisis(SSP5-8.5) assumes an increase of 3.5 to 4.5 °C and a 27% decreasein the water availability of the lake.

Energy

Irrigation is energy-intensive, and high energy costs weigh on farm budgets. The hydroelectric plant fed by Lake Plastiras requiresa continuous watersupply, which links electricity generation directly to irrigation and lake-level management. Renewable energy at farm level has been discussed within the Action-Panel and retained as a longer-term option.

Food

Cotton is the dominant crop within farming systems that also include wheat, maize, broad bean, alfalfa and meadows. Ten representative farm types have been definedto capture this diversity in the project'smodels. Under the most severe scenario, reduced water availability would threaten the viability of local agriculture and the jobs that depend on it.

Ecosystems

The intensity of cultivation has led to nitrate pollution and biodiversity degradation. Soil health and biodiversity conservation are among the priorities identified by stakeholders, and crop rotation with leguminous species is being field tested to reduce agrochemical inputs and improve soil moisture retention.

WEFE Nexus-based adaptation solutions

The Greek DS combines field-tested short-term adaptation solutions with long-term solutions co-designed by its Action-Panel, organized around a precision-farming decision support approach focused on irrigation. The aim is to reduce water and energy consumption, ease competition for water between agriculture, tourism and hydropower, and support new business models that sustain local communities.

1. Short-term adaptation solutions

Four short-term adaptation solutions (SAS) have been retained for the Greek DS:

2.Precision irrigation monitoring and decision support

On 6 July 2026, solar-powered soil moisture sensors were installed in the same cotton field as the drip lines. They record soil water content in real time, so that irrigation can be scheduled according to measured crop needs. Together, drip irrigation and sensor-based monitoring form the practical basis of the precision-farming, irrigation-focused decision support approach of the DS, which aims to help farmers schedule irrigation more accurately, lower water and energy consumption and ease competition for water in the area.

The approach is supported by DIONYSUS-inov, the project's web-based Decision Support System (DSS). On 20 July 2026, Greek DS stakeholders tested the beta version of the platform; their recommendations, notably a simpler farmer workflow, a Greek-language interface, clearer visual summaries and export options, will guide its next development iteration.

3.Long-term adaptation solutions co-designed by the Action-Panel

At its 2nd co-design workshop (27 February 2026), the Action-Panel co-designed 72 long-term adaptation solutions (LAS) for 2050 under two contrasting climate and socio-economic scenarios, using the building blocks of the Business Model Canvas. The solutions were grouped into thematic clusters, including water management, biodiversity conservation, circular economy, and governance and cooperation, and each cluster was linked to the short-term solutions above. Three strategic priorities emerged:

1. a permanent water governance partnership between agriculture, tourism and energy operators, seen as the precondition for all technical water-saving measures;
2. a transition to a circular economy, through the reuse of treated wastewater and agricultural residues as alternative water sources and organic fertilizers;
3. the revitalization of the labour force through youth-centred policies, to prevent land abandonment.

A panel of ten experts has been constituted to assess the relative importance of the solutions with the Analytic Hierarchy Process (AHP). The LAS will then be prioritized with a Quantitative Strategic Planning Matrix (QSPM)at the 3rd co-design workshop, feeding the final DIONYSUS adaptation roadmap for the Greek DS.

4.Sustainable business models

Ten representative farm types, reflecting the diversity of crop systems in Karditsa, have been defined for the Greek DS. For each of them, an Operational and a Strategic Business Model Canvas will be developed, to assess how the adaptation solutions can be embedded in viable farm business models.