University of Pisa and KlinK Present an AI-Based Governance Framework for Decentralised Water Management at the Circle U. Sustainability Conference

On 21 November 2025, the fifth edition of the Conference on Interdisciplinary and Transdisciplinary Research for Sustainable Development took place in Louvain-la-Neuve, Belgium, bringing together researchers from universities within the Circle U. Alliance.

During the thematic session on urban and territorial sustainability transitions, the University of Pisa and KlinK Srl, as partners in the WATERSENS project, delivered an online presentation entitled “Water Management Governance – Mapping the Present to Shape the Future.”

The conference showcased a wide range of scientific and methodological approaches to sustainability challenges, providing a valuable platform for reflection on participatory and digital governance, as well as on the institutional transformations required to support inter- and transdisciplinary research.

Prof. Eugenio Pizzimenti (University of Pisa), together with Paolo Santinello and Anna Rodeghiero (KlinK Srl), presented their work on a Decentralised Water Management (DWM) governance framework. The proposed model aims to support the development of participatory water management strategies by clarifying decision-making roles, authority, and responsibility allocation.

The framework integrates:

• Comparative institutional analysis,
• Multi-criteria evaluation, and
• Cost–benefit assessment,

and includes an AI-based decision-support system that incorporates solutions developed within the WATERSENS project, alongside other existing tools. Co-designed with key stakeholders — including policymakers, water utilities, and investors — the system is intended to help decision-makers better understand the impacts of decentralised approaches and to encourage their adoption in water management planning.

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