Rome studies underground tunnels as climate refuges amid heatwave

The municipality of Rome is evaluating the conversion of its extensive network of historic underground spaces—quarries, catacombs, World‑War‑II shelters and railway tunnels—into cooling refuges to protect residents from increasingly severe heatwaves. The initiative, part of the city’s Heat Plan announced this summer, is coordinated by the Climate Office of the city, led by Edoardo Zanchini, who told EFE, “Queremos estudiar con detenimiento el tema de los espacios subterráneos.” Mayor Roberto Gualtieri and technical partners such as ISPRA and the Institute of Environmental Geology and Geo‑Engineering (CNR‑IGAG) are mapping more than 100 km² of subterranean cavities and assessing air quality, structural stability and ventilation before any public access is allowed.

A pilot example is the Caffarella quarry on the Appia Antica, where internal temperatures stay around 15 °C year‑round while outdoor readings exceed 30 °C during peak heat. Officials stress that health risks such as high CO₂ or radon levels must be mitigated. The project complements other measures like outdoor cooling shelters and expanded green zones, aiming to provide a long‑term, low‑cost adaptation strategy as Italy records record‑breaking summer temperatures, with the 2024 average already 2.5 °C above the 1991‑2020 baseline.