Floods in the Friuli-Venezia Giulia region

The Friuli Venezia Giulia region has been struggling with floods for years due to climate change and global warming.

Not only coastal areas but also the entire region are vulnerable to flooding due to heavy rainfall and overflowing rivers.

The situation is getting worse every year, in 2023 – Venice is currently experiencing flooding earlier than it usually would, leaving tourists left to wander around famous landmarks such as Saint Mark’s Square with water halfway up to their knees.

Venice is made up of smaller islands connected by bridges, and its regular flooding is caused by a combination of factors. Experts say the situation is being made worse by climate change, from rising sea levels and unusually high tides to land subsidence that has caused the city to collapse. When strong winds coincide with high tides, water from the nearby Adriatic Sea flows into the lagoon, causing floods.

Flood control system

Angry Venetians are increasingly asking why government are not doing enough to protect the city built on the lagoon. In particular, this concerns the MOSE “Moses” flood control system, planned since 1991, which, if completed on time, would perhaps save the city or at least minimise the damage.Construction began in 2003 and was originally scheduled to end in 2016. It is estimated that it will take several more years and will cost EUR 5.5 billion. It is also not certain whether the system will be able to be used in the event of a flood risk during the works.

Aqua alta

While tourists seem to be amused by what has been happening in Venice in recent days, the so-called „acqua alta” occurring every year from October to January is an increasingly disturbing phenomenon. Every year between October and January, parts of Venice flood.In such situations, the city tries to adapt to floods by building elevated sidewalks called “gangs”, and a special MOSE flood barrier system is put into operation, which – incidentally – was created over the years “in pain”, amid controversies and rising costs.

Unfortunately, despite powerful flood embankments, one of the most beautiful cities in the world is sinking, which in itself is not news; the scale of this phenomenon and the gloomy forecasts are new.The only thing left is to fight the very source of the problem, global warming, and here the diagnosis is much simpler than the treatment: you will simply have to abandon fossil fuels.