The government has been trying to prevent Venice from sinking since 1973

The majority of people are aware of Venice is in a perilous situation, many of the issues are related to the water. A city built on water is inherently unstable. According to average estimates, the city is sinking by 1-2mm per year, and acqua alta events literally, "high water" make the problem worse.

Venetian extinction is thought to be a result of a combination of factors including climate change, water extraction from the city, and changing Adriatic plate boundaries putting some of its most well-known landmarks in escalating danger of flooding. The majority of Piazza San Marco had platforms ready in case the pavement stones were submerged.

However, flooding began to occur more frequently and with less notice approximately fifty years ago. The first statute protecting Venice, which recognized the city's fragility and the urgent need to save the lagoon from environmental catastrophe, was approved by the Italian government in 1973. To save Venice's delicate lagoon and the city itself, officials commissioned the MOSE - Modulo Sperimentale Elettromeccanico - barrier system, which consists of 78 gates that may be raised to hold back the tide. The long-awaited flood barrier was finally turned on in October 2020 and successfully kept back the tide after decades of debate and rising expenses.