HIGH WATER
Will Venice sink and why does the Italian city flood?
THE waterways of Venice attract millions of tourists from around the world every year - but rising floodwaters have overwhelmed the Italian city.
Here we explain why Venice has flooded, what defences there are, and if the city is sinking.
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Why does Venice flood?
Venice experiences a phenomenon "acqua alta" or "high water" due to exceptional tide peaks in the Adriatric Sea.
The tidal peaks reach their maximum level in the Venetian Lagoon, which runs around and through the city, causing flooding in the region.
The causes of the tidal peaks are down to a number of factors, including the movement and phase of the moon, wind strengths and direction as well as rain level and rising sea-levels.
The flooding levels vary across the city due to varying altitudes above sea level, plus heights of pavements and distance from channels.
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Is Venice sinking?
According to , the rise in sea-level isn't the only thing that has Venice's famous canals rising every year because the city is subsiding.
Previous studies had suggested the city's subsidence had stabilised but it has been claimed that the city is tilting to the east.
Scientists tracked the elevation of Venice and its surrounding lagoons over a ten year period and have said that on average, the city is sinking up to two millimetres every year.
It's thought the subsidence is due to plate tectonics as the Adriatic plate, on which Venice sits, is subducting beneath the Apennines Mountains and causing the city and its environs to drop slightly in elevation.
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How often does Venice flood?
Exceptionally high tides in Venice occurs once every four years, on average.
However minor flooding in the city happens around four times a year and usually within the winter months.
High water can sometimes last only for a few hours but it is dependent on which part of the island is hit by floodwaters.
In 2018 the waters reached a height of 156cm in October after flooding across Italy.
But this was exceeded in 2019 as it reached 187cm - the highest since the flood of 1966.
The city declared a state of emergency after a 1.8-metre flood devastated the tourist hotspot and killed at least two people.
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What defences are there?
During the 2018 floods, Venice Mayor Luigi Brugnaro said a series of underwater barriers that were being erected in the lagoon would have prevented the inundation.
According to Associated Press, Brugnaro said he had asked to talk with Premier Giuseppe Conte to underline the urgency of the project, nicknamed Moses, which would raise barriers when the tide reaches 43 inches.
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Full completion and operation of the project is expected in 2022.
Residents and businesses typically reinforce their doors with metal or wooden panels to prevent water from entering the bottom floors, but photos on social media showed shop owners using water pumps this time to try to protect their goods.
The city installs gangways for pedestrians to use, but in the 2018 floods these had to be removed as the water exceeded the raised walkways.
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