Mazzon et al. (2026) Quantifying irrigation-driven recharge in a complex urban-agricultural system: the case of Milan, Italy

Identification

• Journal: Frontiers in Water
• Year: 2026
• Date: 2026-09-10
• Authors: Pietro Mazzon, Paolo Colombo, Loris Colombo, Luca Alberti
• DOI: 10.3389/frwa.2026.1872897

Research Groups

• Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering, Politecnico di Milano, Milan, Italy
• ARPA Lombardia
• Regione Lombardia

Short Summary

This study presents an advanced unsteady-state numerical groundwater model for the Milan metropolitan area, assessing the potential effect of irrigation practice changes on groundwater levels. Results highlight the substantial role of irrigation in sustaining groundwater levels.

Objective

• Quantify irrigation-driven recharge in a complex urban-agricultural system: the case of Milan, Italy

Study Configuration

• Spatial Scale: The model domain covers an area of about 1880 km², including the entire Metropolitan city of Milan and some municipalities of the Monza-Brianza, Varese, Pavia, and Lodi provinces.
• Temporal Scale: The simulation period is from January 2014 to December 2018.

Methodology and Data

• Models used: MODFLOW-NWT (MODFLOW with Newton-Raphson formulation)
• Data sources:
  • Piezometric measurements from ARPA Lombardia, MM S.p.a., and CAP Holding S.p.a.
  • Daily precipitation and temperature data from the E-OBS database
  • Land cover classification from the DUSAF 2018 database

Main Results

• Irrigation recharge accounts for 57% of average yearly recharge.
• Scenario simulations show that reductions in irrigation recharge (15, 30, and 50%) could lead to significant groundwater level declines.

Contributions

• This study presents a robust decision-support tool for water authorities, allowing them to assess policy impacts and support the development of sustainable water management plans under changing climatic and anthropogenic drivers.
• The model highlights the substantial role of irrigation in sustaining groundwater levels and provides insights into the linkages between the irrigation system, groundwater bodies, and water availability.

Funding

• This research was funded by [insert funding agency or project name].

Citation

@article{Mazzon2026Quantifying,
  author = {Mazzon, Pietro and Colombo, Paolo and Colombo, Loris and Alberti, Luca},
  title = {Quantifying irrigation-driven recharge in a complex urban-agricultural system: the case of Milan, Italy},
  journal = {Frontiers in Water},
  year = {2026},
  doi = {10.3389/frwa.2026.1872897},
  url = {https://doi.org/10.3389/frwa.2026.1872897}
}