全球变化知识资源中心

Urgent threats to human health and their effects are already visible and detectable around the world. The extreme event effects on ecosystem and health will be more evident and dramatic on the environment in the next future. The health consequences represent one the most important challenges that need to be addressed in the coming decades. The human health is threatened, not only by the direct effects related to extreme weather events, but also by the consequences of global changes on the environment and on the prevalence of infectious and non-transmissible diseases. The most vulnerable populations are those living in larger cities that are more susceptible to pollution, and those living in mountainous or coastal areas with high hydrogeological risks. Over the past seven years, Rome has recorded seventeen episodes of intense flooding, of which the majority in the last years. A strong and intense rainfall, with the most dramatic phase of phenomena on January 31st, characterized the beginning of 2014. Furthermore, violent thunderstorm, characterized by an exceptional rainfall rates, affected the Latium region on February 3rd, 2014. Some areas have been sub-merged by water (spanning from 30 to 40 cm) for about four days. The research goal is to contribute to the knowledge of the effect on health of floods.