Aqua Stress is a project funded by the EC within the 6th R&D Framework Program whose aim is to develop stakeholder and society driven holistic approach to mitigate water stress involving researches and stakeholders at different stages of the planning process. The project is based on the conduct of research in eight test sites (Italy, Portugal, Poland, Bulgaria, The Netherlands, Tunisia, Morocco and Cyprus) where case studies have been developed that are relevant and representative of the European context. This paper provides an overview of the methodology utilized to identify relevant case studies in the eight test sites and describes the issues that are addressed in each of the case studies, highlighting the importance of integrating technical and non technical (including social and public participatory aspects and training) in the development of water stress mitigation strategies.