Applications for Non-Conventional Water Resources in the Mediterranean Basin: A Literature Review

Abstract

We conducted a systematic review of peer-reviewed scientific bibliography published between 2010 and 2023, concerning the exploitation of Non-Conventional Water Resources (NCWR) in the Mediterranean Basin. The goal was to enhance our understanding of NCWR uses, reveal knowledge gaps, and identify future trends, risks, and challenges. The methodology comprised the inclusion, mining, filtering, and grouping of key elements retrieved from the surveyed items, followed by the deciphering of their intra-cluster variability and the links between them. Of the 978 publications harvested from the SCOPUS pool, 193 were eventually selected to form the NCWR database. The latter extends to 282 entries, each for an individual, i.e., single method and study area, application, compiled by 24 attributes per registry. The study provides insight on (i) the technologies most frequently implemented, (ii) the geographical distribution and spatial scale of the applications, (iii) their temporal trends, (iv) their objectives, (v) their relationship with nature and society. The work aims to fuel the discussion on improving policy-making, resource management, and adaptation to the climate crisis.