It was the floods of 1966, when the water reached more than six feet above sea level, that focused worldwide attention on the very real danger posed to Venice by flooding. However, it was only in 2003 that approval was finally given to the MOSE (Modulo Sperimentale Elettromeccanico or Electromechanical Experimental Module) mobile flood barrier scheme, designed to protect the city from high tides and storm surges. Work is due to be completed in 2014.
How the MOSE Flood Barriers Work
The 78 floodgates will rest on the floor of the Venice Lagoon at the inlets where the waters of the Adriatic Sea enter – Malamocco, Chioggia and the Lido. When a dangerous tide is forecast, compressed air will be released inside the gates, emptying the gates of water. They will then rise and block the entrance of the tide into the lagoon.
Controversy Surrounds the MOSE Flood Barriers
The MOSE scheme was delayed for such a long time by a range of controversies. These revolved around the cost of the project, its impact on the fragile environment of the lagoon and whether it would work at all. These controversies are still raging, even as the project gets under way.
The MOSE scheme is expected to cost 4.271 billion euros. Much of the government funding which used to go to the maintenance of the fabric of Venice, particularly the maintenance and repair of the city's canals, has been diverted to MOSE. The Venetian authorities have allowed huge advertising billboards to appear on the city's fabled buildings in an attempt to make up the shortfall, a fact which has provoked controversies of its own.
Blocking the entrances to the lagoon has raised concerns about the impact on the area's fragile environment, which is one of the most important wetlands in Western Europe. The tidal exchange of water between the lagoon and the Adriatic Sea is vital to the lagoon's well-being, particularly given the antiquated nature of Venice's sewerage system. The authorities maintain that the barriers will not need to be raised very often, and that therefore there will be minimal effect on the lagoon environment.
Flooding in Venice – Come Hell or High Water
However, exacerbated by a rise in sea level occasioned by climate change, the number of acqua alta, or high water, events looks set to increase markedly. These currently happen about four times a year, but in August 2009, New Scientist magazine reported that the Institute of Marine Sciences in Venice predicts that by the end of this century high water could swamp the city between 30 and 250 times a year (“Climate change could swamp Venice's flood defence,” by Shanta Barley, 24 August 2009). If sea levels rise more than 26-53 cm by 2100, MOSE, which can only cope with 60 cm of sea level rise, may be insufficient to save the city.
The debate continues to rage, but in the meantime Venice looks set to spend even more money. Flooding is an expensive business. The acqua alta of December 2008 saw the tidal surge reach a height of just over five feet, and the ANSA news agency reported that Venice was planning to spend euro1 million ($1.27 million) to pay for the damages left by the flood.
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