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Venice may be forced to relocate in the future as scientists scramble to save it from the growing threat of flooding.<\/p>\n
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A new study, published in the journal Scientific Reports<\/a>, has assessed existing and potential adaptation strategies for the Italian city against sea-level rise projections from the UN\u2019s Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change\u2019s (IPCC) Sixth Assessment Report.<\/p>\n Venice, a UNESCO World Heritage Site within the Venetian Lagoon, has experienced increasing flooding over the past 150 years. Last summer, powerful thunderstorms swept through the region, overwhelming drainage systems and turning streets into fast-flowing rivers.<\/p>\n In 2019, severe flooding caused two deaths and hundreds of millions of euros worth of damage, including to the tourist hotspot of St Mark\u2019s Basilica<\/a>. Glass barriers and a \u20ac3.3 million restoration plan were unveiled back in 2023 to protect the 900-year-old church, which remains at the mercy of the tides.<\/p>\n Scientists have now outlined three possible adaptation strategies for Venice, warning that rapid action is \u201cessential\u201d. The study\u2019s author says Venice exemplifies the challenges that many low-lying coastal areas will face due to sea-level rise over the coming centuries, including the Maldives and the Netherlands.<\/p>\n Will Venice be relocated?<\/p>\n The authors predict that dikes may be necessary beyond 0.5 metres of sea-level rise<\/a> \u2013 which may occur by 2100, even if emissions are kept low \u2013 at an estimated cost of \u20ac500 million to \u20ac4.5 billion.<\/p>\n These are engineered embankments, which are usually made from earth, sand or rock, that are built along coastlines or rivers to act as a barrier against potential flooding.<\/p>\n Closing the lagoon with a \u201csuper levee\u201d (a wide reinforced embankment) could also be viable beyond 0.5 metres of sea-level rise, and could protect the city against sea level rise of up to 10 metres. However, the initial cost for this could exceed \u20ac30 billion.<\/p>\n As a last resort, the study says that relocating the city, its residents and historic landmarks may be necessary beyond 4.5 metres of sea-level rise \u2013 which is projected to occur after 2300 \u2013 at a cost of up to \u20ac100 billion. <\/p>\n The authors warn that the construction of large-scale interventions such as permanent barriers can take between 30 and 50 years, meaning early planning is essential.<\/p>\n \u2018No optimal strategy for Venice\u2019<\/p>\n