On 10th of April 2025, the UNIBO group organised the first Co-Creation Workshop for the Italian Region of Opportunity. This event successfully convened key stakeholders to identify, understand and propose solution on how to overcome public perception barriers, in order to facilitate wider adoption of agricultural water reuse in Emilia-Romagna.

Key Discussions and Findings

The session started with an overview of the BOOST-IN project and its objectives, emphasising the importance of water reuse in achieving a sustainable and circular water economy. Participants, drawn from public administrations, industry, energy communities, and civil society, then shared their perspectives and experiences concerning water reuse.

Main Challenges Identified

Through a series of group activities, participants delved into the perspectives of various stakeholders, including farmers, regional and water managers, among other key actors. This comprehensive analysis highlighted several significant challenges:

  • There’s a general lack of discussion on water reuse, stemming from the reluctance and fears about the topic’s complexity. Ineffective communication and a lack of stakeholder trust contribute to this.
  • Insufficient education and training: lack of incentivised and regulated educational pathways, limited presence of the topic in schools, and a need for more experts in the sector.
  • There’s a general habit to a linear consumption model of water, making the shift to a circular economy challenging.
  • Governance and regulatory uncertainty: farmers face a lack of national regulatory certainty regarding water quality, with concerns about the quality of reclaimed wastewater.
  • High costs and technological complexity: existing reuse technologies are not always simple to operate and use, especially the ones needed to ensure microbiological safety of effluent.
  • Some of the key stakeholders might unconsciously contribute to these barriers: local administrations not always promote sustainable practices due to their perceived complexity, education sector not always knows enough about these practices, media could disseminate successful examples more often.

Conclusion

The workshop highlighted that adopting water reuse faces significant challenges, some of them being misunderstanding of the term “wastewater,” communication issues, a lack of proper education on the topic, and uncertain regulations. Overcoming these barriers requires building trust, improving communication, implementing robust educational programs, and establishing clear governance. A holistic approach addressing social, educational, and regulatory aspects is crucial for a sustainable, circular water economy.

This workshop is a vital step in BOOST-IN’s mission to expand circular water economy solutions. By fostering stakeholder collaboration and tackling public perception barriers, the project and the research team aim to accelerate sustainable water management in Italy and beyond.