Venice case study

Context

• High water/ aqua alta has been a persistent phenomenom throughout Venice's history
• Ciy has dealt with rising sea levels either by demolishing old buildings/ erecting new homes  on higher foundations made of impermable stone
• Has an amazing arhitectural and cultural heriatge- want to preserve historic buildings

What happened

• 1,500 years ago Adriatic's sea level 2m what it is below today
• City slowly sinking
• Resulted mainly from natural settling of lagoon sediments and the pumping of freshwater from a deep aquifier beneath city
• Continous accumulation of of silt in the lagoon is also helping to rise sea levels
• Extraction of methane gas in the sea off Venice stands contibuting to the sinking
• Venice currently suffers from flooding on 200 days every year, compared with 7 at the beggining of 20th century