Background One of the negative impacts of climate change in Mediterranean countries is water shortages. While only a minor reduction in the total amount of water that reaches the ground from the atmosphere has been recorded in the past few decades, significant hydrological changes are occurring. For example, weather events (such as rainstorms) have shorter durations and are more extreme. Therefore, in areas of water stress, such as the Po valley in the Veneto Region, where the natural availability barely matches demand, there is a need for action. The valley’s natural infiltration capacity has been compromised and changes in river flows represent an environmental problem, as well as a direct threat to public health. In particular, the slow impoverishment of water in the undifferentiated groundwater table of the upper Vicenza plain is resulting in a range of serious problems: water shortage, water conflicts, the outflow of the Resorgiva natural system, and an increase in investment costs for water supply. The current trend has been scientifically verified and an immediate and consolidated effort to reverse it is imperative. Objectives The AQUOR project aims to develop an adaptive strategy to climate change to support the sustainable governance of the upper Vicenza’s groundwater resource. It will rebalance the area’s water budget, make better use of the water resource and improve infiltration processes. The project’s specific objectives are to: Create an integrated knowledge structure on the hydro-geological system. This measure aims to develop a GIS information system for the hydro-geological and territorial system of the upper Vicenza plain; Alert all stakeholders to the importance of groundwater, water saving, and groundwater recharge; Demonstrate the technical feasibility, the economic benefit and the environmental sustainability of technical solutions for recharging the groundwater layers; and Develop integrated governance of the groundwater resource at the local level in order to transfer the experience of the project into a strategy for the governance of the territory, with special reference to safeguarding the groundwater resources as established by Directive 2000/60/EC, as well as by national and regional laws. The participatory process that will be used during the project will establish a process of shared decision-making and, at the same time, clarify the role of the different actors that affect the condition of the groundwater resources.Expected results: A 10% reduction in water extraction from the upper Vicenza plain’s groundwater layer and a 30% gain in the recharge water coming from the Astico River; A common and shared definition, among all the parties involved, of an action plan for the governance of the water resource in the upper Vicenza plain; A Territorial Information System for the governance of the water resources; Engagement of at least 80% of the water users in the upper Vicenza plain through education and training activities focused on the themes of water saving and safeguarding groundwater; and A database of monitoring data that can be used to verify the effectiveness of the solutions proposed.