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Nature-Based Flood Management with IoT Monitoring System

Solution Overview

Rome is implementing a comprehensive flood management strategy that prioritizes Nature-based Solutions while integrating Information and Communication Technologies and Internet of Things capabilities to enhance continuous monitoring and support emergency management.[1][3] The Department of Infrastructure Development and Urban Maintenance is in charge of creating infrastructure and pilot projects to reduce the risk of flooding, with this initiative classified as a new project with a medium-term implementation period.[1] The approach focuses on the Labaro-Prima Porta district in the outskirts of Rome, an area increasingly afflicted by recurrent floods.[2]

Technical Components

The implementation will construct underground tanks and floodable squares in areas at risk of flooding, alongside Sustainable Urban Drainage Systems distributed and incorporated in the building fabric and infrastructure.[1] These SUDS-type solutions include permeable road surfaces, reservoirs and compensating underground areas, and filters to slow down rainwater run-off.[1] The Storm Water Management Model hydrologic software was used to evaluate which Nature-based Solutions are more effective in terms of runoff management in the Labaro-Prima Porta district.[2] A master plan structured in two overlapping scales was proposed for the district, with one large-scale layer improving the ecological network of the Veio Park and the rivers close to the urban settlements.[2] In the second layer, a green blue infrastructure at the district scale is defined, including a 3.3 km greenway as an urban and ecological corridor.[2]

Climate Adaptation Relevance

This integrated approach directly addresses the increasing frequency of recurrent floods affecting the Labaro-Prima Porta district through distributed drainage infrastructure and nature-based interventions.[2] The combination of underground storage capacity, permeable surfaces, and ecological corridors provides multiple pathways for managing extreme precipitation events while the ICT and IoT monitoring systems enable real-time response to emerging flood conditions.[1][3]

Sources