Adapting to Water Scarcity in Mediterranean Greenhouse Agriculture: Insights From Digital Irrigation and Regulated Water Governance in Southeastern Spain

Climate‐driven water scarcity is compounding adaptation pressures on Mediterranean greenhouse farming, particularly for small and micro agricultural firms governed by regulated water‐governance systems. This paper analyses differentiated adaptation profiles in Almería (Spain) based on an analysis of farm structure, digital irrigation adoption, water‐source composition, economic position and farmers' perceptions of drought and non‐conventional water resources. We used k‐means cluster analysis and Mann–Whitney U tests on survey data from 127 greenhouse farms to identify and characterize adaptation patterns. The results show two profiles. The Passive Cluster is characterized by smaller farms with lower levels of digital adoption, less extreme perceptions of drought, and limited use of alternative water strategies. The Proactive Cluster includes larger farms with higher adoption of sensors and digital irrigation tools, higher use of own and non‐conventional water sources, more pronounced perceived drought impacts and a better self‐reported economic position. The results indicate that the interaction of productive scale, perceived climate risk, technological capacity and access to water influence adaptation.