Venice is sinking

Venice Italy is literally sinking. It has always faced flooding from aqua all to abnormally high tides but the frequency of these incidents has risen. The city has a flood warning system with siren alerts and text messages that keep citizens informed of the potential severity of the floods. People prepare for these recurrent flood events with wellington boots and higher walkways but structures are not so lucky.

The water levels are now permanently over the original damp-proof courses of older homes and buildings in the city. Saltwater attacks the friable clay bricks causing them to disintegrate and allowing in more water. As a result, the ground level of many of Venice’s buildings is now unusable. To preserve them and avoid more erosion, underwater barriers have been erected to decrease the quantity of water entering the lagoon. In the summer of 2021, more than 18 years after the system's development started, it was completely functional.