Integrating Earth Observation for the precise monitoring of novel farming systems and water harvesting techniques to address extreme drought in the Mediterranean region, including saline and drought-resilient species: WaterMellon Project

Water scarcity is emerging as one of the most pressing challenges in the Mediterranean basin, where climate change intensifies drought frequency, raises temperatures, and reduces freshwater availability. These stressors severely impact rainfed farming systems, contributing to low productivity, farmer vulnerability, and increasing land abandonment. The WaterMellon project addresses this challenge by combining ancestral hydro-technologies with modern irrigation strategies and state-of-the-art Earth Observation (EO) and Geographic Information System (GIS) applications to strengthen agricultural resilience in dryland environments. The approach builds on the restoration of traditional water-harvesting practices, complemented by nature-based interventions and precision agriculture techniques. These include the adoption of drought-resilient varieties, the valorization of underutilized crops, and the deployment of energy-efficient irrigation systems. EO and GIS serve as the analytical backbone of the project, enabling spatial assessments of water dynamics, suitability mapping for harvesting infrastructures, and continuous monitoring of crop and soil conditions across pilot sites.