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IS VENICE SINKING?

Flooding in Venice: 1825 and 2002

Venice is a city on water.

Throughout history, exceptional high tides have risen out of the canals into Venice's streets, in particular in low-lying areas such as St. Mark's Square. The illustration to the right is from 1825. However, in recent years, the city has seen more frequent "high waters". A major flood in 1966 launched a national and international debate on how to protect the city.

Is the only solution the huge dam system proposed by the "New Venice Consortium", a pool of private companies? The Consortium holds a remarkably sweeping exclusive concession to study, design and build public works in the Lagoon of Venice - a concession granted without competition.

• We argue that the natural balance of Venice's Lagoon needs to be restored as part of any attempt to protect Venice.
• Italia Nostra opposes the dam system proposed for Venice. This huge and costly project, approved by the Italian government in April 2003, risks creating more problems for the Lagoon.
• Moreover, valid alternatives to protect Venice and its Lagoon exist

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION

Edoardo Salzano, in "The Venice Lagoon: what it is, what they are doing to it", describes how the Lagoon was wisely managed for 1000 years by the Republic of Venice and how it is now being destroyed (from Prof. Salzano's extensive web site about cities, environment and planning).

Tony Zamparutti, "Death of Venice" (The Ecologist, March 2003)