AquaGest, integrating data and models to support Irrigation Boards water management

The scientific community has put considerable effort in the design of DSSs in water management in recent years, but many of the existing tools have been created in research projects and are not available for public uses; others are commercial products which are designed for general users. For the foregoing, in many cases these tools are not adapted to the requirements of the Italian Irrigation Boards, which have important and consistent databases, have adopted tools created for the context in which they operate as IRRINET, have specific needs that are not considered by the existing tools, such as irrigation control to discover unauthorized uses of the water resource. "AquaGest" is an interactive and adaptable computer based systems developed for the "Irrigation and Reclamation Board of Romagna". The paper is so organized: (i) present a short characterization of the area and address the reason for the tool development; (ii) describe the conceptual design of AquaGest, as well as the integration of models, management actions and scenarios; (iii) analyse the capability of the DSS to identify water allocation which maximize water saving and minimize cost due to water scarcity in agriculture; (iv) evaluate the potential to support actions of control on water use.