Rising Sea Levels Could Submerge Key Italian Ports, Highways

(Bloomberg) -- Many Italian ports, railways and highways may be under water by 2100 as Mediterranean sea levels surge due to climate change.

Hundreds of ports and shores are at risk of disappearing, Luigi Merlo, the head of Federlogistica, said in an interview with the Il Sole 24 Ore newspaper, citing research from the country’s sustainable development agency. Italy needs to put a serious prevention plan together, including sea barriers and elevated railways and highways, he said.

Sea levels could rise by 30 centimeters (12 inches) in the next 30 years and 1 meter by the end of the century, according to research by ENEA, the Italian national agency for new technologies, energy and sustainable economic development. That would submerge cities like Venice.

Italy is considering selling a green bond to fund climate-related measures, following issuance from European countries such as the Netherlands, which raised 6 billion euros ($6.7 billion) earlier this year.

To contact the reporter on this story: Marco Bertacche in Milan at mbertacche@bloomberg.net

To contact the editors responsible for this story: Christopher Kingdon at ckingdon@bloomberg.net, Natasha Doff, James Amott

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