Background Vallevecchia is one of the most important coastal Natura 2000 sites in the Veneto region. It extends to around 900 hectares and includes several priority habitats. As a low-lying coastal area (elevation of 5 metres below sea level), it experiences problems related to sea level rise, which increases the area's vulnerability to storms and wave surges. The EU Water Framework Directive (2000/60/EC) specifies that “an effective and coherent water policy must take account of the vulnerability of aquatic ecosystems located near the coast and estuaries or in gulfs or relatively closed seas”. Coastal vulnerability largely depends on the combined effect of the natural system and socio-economic interests. Thus, the coastal system may be harmed by the future non-sustainability of each of its subsystems. Specific solutions must therefore consider every system component. Water availability, quality and management can be viewed as the main threats to a physical, ecological or socio-economic subsystem’s survival. Objectives The WATERSTORE project will demonstrate the effectiveness of an innovative process designed to maximise and optimise the use of groundwater in rural coastal areas. The project will analyse the different subsystems in coastal areas, including Natura 2000 sites, agricultural areas and areas used for tourism and recreational purposes. The process will enable the efficient management of available freshwater, diverting it to different locations based on the water’s quality (particularly the degree of salinity) and the priorities established by stakeholders. Specific objectives include: To develop a new water management methodology, including the modification of the hydraulic system in Vallevecchia; To implement an automated management system that distributes water based on its quantitative and qualitative characteristics, and the priorities identified by stakeholders; To introduce multifunctional agriculture and water-saving criteria in the crop system adopted by the farms in the Vallevecchia basin, with the aim of adapting local agriculture to the new water management methods. The protection of water from nitrates will also be taken into consideration; To write specific software for the monitoring of agronomic, environmental and economic parameters, so that the new system can be evaluated; To encourage take up of similar approaches in other areas with similar characteristics to Vallevecchia. Expected results: The demonstration of an innovative process for storing and managing rainwater, with a capacity of about 160,000 m3; An improvement in the management of Vallevecchia’s drainage basin, taking into account its high nature value (Natura 2000 network), as well as agricultural, tourist and recreational areas; An increase in agricultural income in the area from €150-300 per hectare to about €400 per hectare; Dissemination of the methodology to stakeholders in similar situations in Europe; Guidelines and a "Best Management Practices Manual for Integrated Multifunctional Cropping Systems" in coastal areas.