Venice, a city usually concerned with devastating floods, now faces the opposite problem: canals are starting to run dry following weeks of dry winter weather and unusually low tides. A combination of factors is believed to have caused this rare sight: lack of rain, high atmospheric pressure, and the lunar cycle producing low water levels during ebb tide. Since the canals serve as streets in the city, the phenomenon has implications beyond the disappointment of the tourists. Some of Venice’s smaller calas have dried up almost entirely, making it impossible for gondolas, water taxis, and ambulances to reach areas of the city.
Some of Venice’s smaller calas have dried up almost entirely, making it difficult for gondolas, water taxis, and ambulances to reach areas of the city. According to reports from the city, in some cases, ambulance boats had to tie up further from their destination, forcing medical crews to hand-carry the stretchers over long distances. Gondolas are also left stranded in the mud, as they can no longer navigate on some secondary waterways, to the disappointment of tourists. Navigation in the city continues on the wider waterways, including the Grand and Giudecca canals.
The situation in Venice suggests that Italy is facing the prospect of another drought. Just last summer, the country declared a state of emergency in the northern regions, severely affected by the droughts and an unusually early heatwave. During this winter, the Alps are reported to have received less than half of their normal snowfall. Italian rivers are also suffering from a severe lack of water, according to the Legambiente environmental group. Recent weather forecasts have, however, announced the arrival of some precipitation and snow in the Alps in the coming days.
Earlier in January, the Italian city installed glass barriers around the 900-year-old Basilica to protect it from future floods. The decision was made after near-record flooding in December 2022, as the church’s governing body began fearing a repeat of the November 2019 near-catastrophic damages suffered by the building during the worst floods in half a century. In addition to the fence, the city is accelerating the completion of the MOSE project, a project that will temporarily isolate the Venetian Lagoon from the Adriatic Sea during Aqua alta, or high tides.
Besides problems related to the water infrastructure, Venice is also facing problems of over-tourism which affects the lagoon’s ecosystem, urban development, and the local population. In July 2022, Venetian authorities have announced that as of January 16th, 2023, visitors will have to book a visiting slot and pay an entrance fee to enter the historic canal city. The local council stated that there would be no limit to the number of daily visitors; after a certain number of visitors is reached on any particular day, the entrance fee increases.
News via The Guardian.
