November 8, 2022
Feature Story
by Tara Malhotra
In 312 B.C., aqueducts were created to bring fresh water to Rome. Over 2,000 years later, researchers are looking to this ancient technology as a potential solution to cooler cities.
Aqueducts require complex engineering and are made of bridges, canals, pipes, and tunnels, according to National Geographic. They use gravity and natural inclines to transport freshwater from a natural source (such as a lake or a stream) to a city. This water can then be used for anything such as drinking, plants, fountains, and baths.
In September, an organization called the Cool Cities Project started to research a series of these aqueducts located under Naples, Italy. Design students from Italy and America came together to map out this intricate underground network. Their mission was to study and adapt this age-old technology to prevent extreme heat.
Andrea Drobnick, an Upper School history teacher, explains why it is important to look to history for problem-solving inspiration.
“The roots of modern issues and problems often have clear, direct links to the past, so by spotting and evaluating historical trends and patterns, we can gather the data and information necessary to make fact-based conclusions in order to help solve modern problems,” Drobnick said.
Since high amounts of human activity make urban areas warmer and buildings and streets soak up heat, sweltering temperatures are a prominent issue in major cities. Keeping this in mind, Cool Cities is aiming to extract the most effective and sustainable aspects of the original aqueducts and apply them to an updated model.
Interesting Engineering Magazine describes the project as “the key to cooling cities.” The students utilize laser-scanning equipment to chart the geography of the aqueducts and other submerged canals. After looking at their data for a certain aqueduct, they assess whether it is worthwhile to restore it. A fixed and updated aqueduct could reduce the heat that comes with urban centers.
A popular misconception is that the water from the aqueducts is sewage, but this is incorrect. In reality, the water is funneled from clean freshwater sources and could be rerouted to cool the city as opposed to dumped into the wastewater system.
In addition, Cool Cities found that more trees, plants, and water features are small steps toward decreasing heat. Adding parks and water fountains to towns can help offset effects of climate change by not absorbing warmth.
Dr. Sabrina Erickson, an Advanced Placement Environmental Science teacher, describes the benefits of aqueducts and their use in decreasing temperatures.
“Aqueducts are important because they bring fresh water to areas that need it. The heat in Naples is unique because it is a geothermal zone (heat from within the earth heats up the area). There is no doubt that climate change is also having an impact on the heat. The ancient aqueducts underneath the city could be used to cool it. I think it is a wonderful idea,” Erickson said.
In a world where temperatures are constantly rising which leads to dying ecosystems and plummeting human health, the Cool Cities Project proposes a realistic solution. The aqueducts in Naples may provide a template for other urban areas struggling with global warming. If the project is successful, it would change lives and go to show that modern problems can be solved with ancient approaches.
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