Venice:The city of Venice continues to face significant challenges as rising sea levels threaten its long-term survival, despite the MOSE project's success in preventing severe flooding over the past seven years. The MOSE, or Modulo Sperimentale Elettromeccanico, was designed to protect Venice from high tides by using 78 seagates at the mouths of its three bays.
According to Thai News Agency, experts have raised concerns that the MOSE system may not be sufficient to protect Venice from future flooding due to global warming. The seagates, which were initially expected to close only five times a year, have been activated 154 times between October 2020 and April 2026. This frequent closure is primarily due to the accelerating rise in sea levels.
The cost of closing the bay is significant, at £200,000 per closure, impacting Venice's economy, particularly during peak times such as the Carnival, when the bay was closed 26 times, resulting in a loss of £5 million. Moreover, the frequent activation of the seagates has raised environmental concerns, as it disrupts water flow and sediment exchange, leading to a decrease in oxygen levels affecting marine life.
Several solutions have been proposed to address the threat of submersion. These include constructing dikes around the city, permanently closing the bay, or even relocating Venice to the mainland. Each of these options involves substantial financial investment and lengthy implementation periods.
Research published in Scientific Reports outlines these four approaches, with costs ranging from 6 billion euros for the open-close seagate to 100 billion euros for relocating the city. As Venice continues to grapple with its future, timely planning and policy development are crucial to ensuring its resilience against the impacts of global warming.