The Infamous Sinking City

Venice, the romantic and ethereal Italian city built on water, is a spectacle of human endeavor and remarkable aesthetic beauty.

However, the city is constantly sunk into the lagoon's subsoil at a rate of 2 mm per year.

The phenomenon is largely due to three prominent factors.

First is the 'underwater erosion' caused by the Adriatic Sea brine corroding the wooden platforms upon which Venice's iconic buildings stand.

Second is the 'acqua alta,' the high tide which is increasing year by year possibly due to climate change.

This exacerbates the city's sinking dilemma by eroding its infrastructure.

Third, the extraction of groundwater from the wells in the lagoon during the 20th century contributed significantly to the city's lowering.

Venice's battle against the waters has spanned centuries and, unless aided by robust and effective solutions, the city could become uninhabitable by the turn of the next century..