Venice, once a sovereign naval power that commanded the Mediterranean, now finds itself in a defensive crouch against the very waters that built it. The city’s relationship with the Adriatic has shifted from one of strategic advantage to existential threat. In 2019, an *acqua alta* event submerged 80 percent of the city under 187 centimeters of water, a haunting echo of the record 194-centimeter flood of 1966. To combat this, Italy deployed MOSE—a system of mobile barriers designed to seal the lagoon during high tides.
While MOSE was heralded as a definitive solution, its long-term viability is increasingly in doubt. The engineering project, which cost upwards of 5 billion euros, was designed for a climate reality that is rapidly shifting. Recent data reveals a troubling acceleration in extreme weather: of the 28 "extreme" floods recorded over the last 150 years—defined as events covering 60 percent of the city’s surface—a disproportionate number have occurred in the last few decades.
The dilemma for Venice is now one of infrastructure versus ecology. The barriers were intended for occasional use, but as sea levels rise, the frequency of deployment threatens to turn a temporary fix into a semi-permanent closure. Such a move would devastate the lagoon’s ecosystem, which requires regular tidal exchange to flush out waste and maintain oxygen levels. As the limits of MOSE become clear, the city is forced to look for a "Plan B," acknowledging that even the grandest architectural interventions may only be buying time.
With reporting from Xataka.
Source · Xataka
