Experts who have studied Rome’s vulnerability say that while it took a long time to build the city, it can be wrecked in just a few hours by extreme weather. The world is experiencing more severe storms due to rising temperatures, and Rome is particularly vulnerable due to its outdated infrastructure and poor planning decisions over the years. It’s like a ticking time bomb when it comes to climate change.
While the climate is changing, the Eternal City is not.
Since 2008, there’s been extreme rainfall that are like super intense and 20 of the most insane ones from 2010 to 2020 actually caused major flooding in the city.
Severe heat waves are the flip side of the climate coin. And in Rome, over the past 20 years or so, things have been heating up by like 3.6 degrees Celsius compared to the time period between 1971 and 2000.
Rome’s weather is like a see-saw, going from super dry to super wet, but the hasn’t come up with a plan to deal with it yet. And its complex, centuries-old structure, are basically sitting ducks for any weather fluctuations.
The main threat comes from water. The city is built on a hydraulic balance that is designed for a pre-industrial climate, so if the Tiber River floods, it’s going to be really bad. It’s not a matter of if it’ll happen, but when. If the river overflows, it’ll just head straight for the old part of the city.
Infiltration basins, rain gardens, and other nature-based shenanigans that gather up tons of water and let it seep into the ground are some pretty rad ways to deal with floods in places like Rome that are prone to such natural disasters.
Reference- National Geographic, CMCC website, BBC, CNN Traveler