Venice Tries to Turn the Tide

There may be not be a more romantic city than Venice for a short break holiday but take care - this major world tourist destination is slowly sinking into the sea.

Venice floats in the Adriatic Sea, anchored in a huge lagoon off Italy's northeast coast. It is one of the world's most romantic tourist break destinations. In Venice all the main streets are canals and all the buses and taxis are boats.

More than 20 million tourists from all over the world descend on Venice each year to sail its waterways, wander across its imposing squares, visit the elegant palaces, wonder at its amazing art masterpieces, dine out in its world-class restaurants, and stay in its historic hotels. Venice is one of the world's greatest treasures.

But Venice has a big problem. The city is slowly sinking into the sea that surrounds it. And unless more is done to save it there won't be Venice left for future generations to visit. Venice is a city is built on 118 small islands that are linked by more than 400 bridges. Many of its historic buildings are mounted on ancient wooden piles, driven deep into the silty sea bed.

Bur passing boats churn up the mud and damage the wooden foundations, salt water seeps into the ancient brick work, air pollution from mainland factories damage older buildings, and even pigeons are a major nuisance as thousands of birds leave tons of acidic droppings to eat away at the ancient stonework.

But the greatest threat to Venice is flooding. Not only is the city slowly sinking into the mud, the sea levels are also rising, thanks to global warming. Since the 1930s city authorities have pumped out water from the lagoon to supply factories, causing the city to sink about one-fifth an inch each year.

St. Mark's Square is the city's lowest point and today high tides flood it about 90 times a year. Temporary walkways are slung over the paving slabs and cafe owners must move their tables to higher floors.

In 1966 a freak high tide sent water levels six feet above normal, flooding much of Venice. Power blackouts followed and thousands of drowned rats were seen floating in the canals. The flood caused major damage to the city's valuable paintings, statues and other treasures.

Now the Italian government and the European parliament has taken on the battle to save Venice. They are funding a multi billion euro plan to save the city. It is dubbed MOSE, after Moses, the biblical figure that parted the Red Sea.

The MOSE scheme has 79 giant hollow steel panels, each weighing 300 tons, strung across the lagoon. They will swing up on giant hinges to form a protective barrier during high tides. Engineers say entire city can be protected in just 30 minutes. The massive construction project, due to be completed in 2012, is expected to cost 7 billion euros.

Critics claim the rise of sea levels from global warming could make MOSE obsolete in less than 50 years. Other warn of an environmental catastrophe. Venetians flush human and animal waste into the canals and let the high tides flush the filthy water out to sea. MOSE could turn Venice into a giant septic tank.

There is only one thing they can all agree on. If something isn't done, and soon, Venice's days are numbered. Everyone is certain that the city must be saved, not just for Venice and not just for Italy, but for the world. After all, Venice is a world treasure.

Source: http://www.articlesbase.com/travel-articles/venice-tries-to-turn-the-tide-610220.html