A remote sensing framework for mapping agricultural water priority areas and hot spots in northeast Italy

The exposure to drought in the agricultural regions of northeast Italy highlights the need for improved water management strategies and identification of regional hot spots. Water authorities often have various levels of technical capacity, creating a need for simple and operational tools to support decision-making. This study presents a threshold-based remote sensing framework that integrates land surface temperature (LST), normalized difference vegetation index (NDVI), and surface soil moisture (SSM) to identify monthly agricultural water priority areas and persistent hot spots at a 1 km resolution. The framework is designed for operational use by water authorities and provides a standardized approach for priority area identification without requiring advanced analytical expertise. Using open-access datasets from May to September during a wet (2019), normal (2020), and dry (2022) year, we map spatial priority patterns and assess hot spot persistence across contrasting hydrological conditions. Results show strong seasonal and interannual variability, with the 2022 drought producing extensive high-priority areas, particularly in midsummer. Persistent priority zones emerge across hydrological regimes and warrant long-term management attention. This research proposes a simple, reproducible, and accessible framework that can support Italian water authorities in identifying critical zones of need to improve water resource allocation and enhance resilience to climate change driven droughts.