Venice Under Water
The worst flooding in Venice’s history took place in 1966. (Wikimedia Commons)
85 percent of Venice, Italy’s famous low-lying city, is reported to be under water as of November 13, following what is recorded as the second-highest flood level in the city’s history.
On November 13, flood levels peaked at 1.87 meters (6 feet), which is only slightly below the highest level reported in 1966, when flood levels rose to 1.94 meters (6.3 feet). According to the mayor of Venice, Luigi Brugnaro, the city is “currently facing an exceptionally high tide. Everyone has been mobilized to cope with the emergency.”
The mayor attributed the cause of this disaster to climate change. Venice has always lived with periods of “acqua alta” (high waters) as it is located in a shallow lagoon, but according to the Washington Post, the sea level has been rising rapidly in Venice which is faster than in other parts of the world. In addition, tectonic plate movement occurring beneath the Italian coast also contribute to the city’s slow sinking.
Paolo Canestrelli, the founder and former head of Venice’s Tide Monitoring and Forecast Centre has said that “the increased flooding is a trend that jibes with the extremization of climate.” In fact, climate scientists predict Venice to be completely under water by the end of the century.
The Veneto regional council, dominated by rightwing parties, rejected amendments to fight the climate crisis in a 2020 budget plan on November 12, according to the Guardian. The council is located in the Palazzo Ferro Fini in Venice.
Minutes after the vote, the chamber was flooded, forcing the representatives to flee, said Andrea Zanoni, the deputy chairman of the council’s environment committee and member of the center-left Democratic Party, which proposed the amendments.
Italy has tried to combat these climate threats. Since 2003, efforts have been made to build floodgates in Venice. However, these efforts have continually been thwarted by issues relating to cost overruns, scandals, and delays.