In order to decrease the effects of poor drainage, mitigate climate change, conserve the environment, and achieve food security, this study proposes a framework for choosing the most effective ADWMS in Egypt’s Nile Delta as well as the new lands. The value engineering approach is used to ensure the strategy’s functionality and to present some innovation in the process of developing alternative solutions that are financially evaluated using the life cycle cost technique. According to the study results, the most effective strategy (ADWMS‐3) prioritizes improving drainage effectiveness, controlling groundwater table rise, and providing an‐ other irrigation water source while maintaining environmental protection. This strategy encom‐ passes the use of a control drainage system, timing of fertilizer application, regulating groundwater table variation, and using sub‐irrigation practices. ADWMS‐3 achieves the highest values for the technical score of 8.06 and the value index of 18.59. This study advances the understanding of the topic by providing policymakers with a tool to (i) evaluate ADWMS and (ii) incorporate the added value and functionality into their policies regarding agricultural drainage water.