摘要
•Regional hydrologic and hydrogeological water budgets of the densely populated Venetian plain (NE, Italy) are performed.•Irrigation is an important recharge component of the hydrogeological budget.•Future scenarios show the reduction of the aquifer recharge due to both climate change and irrigation policy.•Corrective actions and teamwork between scientists and policy communities could mitigate the impact on water resources.•Water budgets are useful to establish the social and environmental sustainability of water policy.