Climate change

As Venice declines, the Adriatic's tides and storms are more likely to affect it. This has led to more frequent and severe floods, which is accompanied by sea level rise. Although there are different estimates for future rises, experts agree that climate change is hastening the rise in sea levels. According to a paper from 2021 that appeared in Natural Hazards and Earth System Sciences, Venice's average sea level by the year 2100 might be anywhere between 17 cm and 120 cm higher.

Even while they are unable to definitively link a specific incident to climate change, experts claim that extreme weather events like flooding and wildfires are occurring more frequently as a result of the phenomenon. However, in response to the 2019 floods, Venice Mayor Luigi Brugnaro declared, "These are the repercussions of climate change."

Venice, already struggling with high tides, is particularly vulnerable to any further rise in the sea levels. Global sea levels are expected to rise between two to seven feet (0.6 meters to 2.1 meters) – and possibly more – over the course of the 21st century. For Venice, this would be a disaster, leaving its streets completely submerged.