China News Service, November 15th. According to the European Times, affected by the severe weather in recent days, Venice, Italy is suffering the largest flood damage in half a century. The flood caused the level at high tide to rise, 80% of Venice is underwater, and the city enters a "state of emergency." Affected by the seasonal tide, news that Venice is "flooded" appears every year.
For thousands of years, Venice, known as the " Adriatic Pearl", has flourished because of water, but now it is facing the danger of being flooded. Why did Venice fall into its current situation and what did it do to fight against the "completely disappeared" future?
On the main road of Venice, floods surged like rivers across the stone-paved sidewalk.
The tide flooded Venice again, the water level set a historical record
World Cultural Heritage, Italy's " Water City " Venice is famous for its canals and gondola water buses, as well as its magnificent palaces and churches. The city is often flooded from October to December every year, but the flood has been particularly severe recently.
Italian Ansha Society reported that on the evening of the 12th, the water level in Venice rose to 187 cm, the second highest water level in the city ever. In November 1966, Venice had a tide of 193 cm, and 5,000 residents in the city were homeless.
htmlOn 13, a new wave of tide came again and may have killed two people. On the 14th, Venice Mayor Luigi Brugnaro declared the city to be in a "state of emergency" and called on Twitter to mobilize everyone to overcome the difficulties together.It is reported that the flood was caused by low-pressure weather in northern Italy. This time the low-pressure caused strong winds to sweep across Italy from south to north, and at the same time pouring tides into the Venetian lagoon. Many places in the historical central city of Venice were destroyed by floods, and the famous Basilica of San Marco, the Phoenix Opera House and the Palace of Pesaro were damaged. Currently, all schools in Venice are closed. About 60 ships, including Venice water buses, were severely damaged. "We are facing a doomsday destruction. It is no exaggeration to say that 80% of cities are underwater, and the losses suffered are unimaginable." Mayor Brugalo said that the impact of this flood will reach hundreds of millions of euros.
Local time on November 12, 2019, Venice, Italy, the water level of the Venice Canal rose and flooded Piazza San Marco . According to the Associated Press, on the morning of the 12th local time, the peak water level reached 127 cm. The picture shows people traveling in the water.
"Water City" is affected by disasters every year. Who will be responsible?
It is also reported that Venice, built on 118 small islands, consisting of 177 canals and about 350 bridges, is lower at an altitude. In addition, it is located on the loose strata called the "Soft Soil Delta", and it is very susceptible to flood threats. Several studies show that Venice is at risk of being completely engulfed by sea water at the end of this century.
According to the analysis of the United Nations Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change, three main reasons have led to the current situation of frequent flooding in Venice: First, the bottom of the Venetian lagoon rose due to silt, making it easy for seawater to flow backwards; Second, human factors such as mining of natural gas and pumping of groundwater have caused the foundation to sink; Third, global climate warming has led to sea levels rising.
Venice Mayor Brugalo blamed the flood, saying on Twitter that the rare flood was the impact of climate change.
In addition, according to the Washington Post, Brugalo said on the 11th that the unfinished water conservancy project "Moses" should also be responsible for the flood.
On November 13, local time, Venice, Italy's "water city", encountered a flood that was second most serious on record. Mayor Luigi Bruniaro intends to declare a state of emergency, saying that the flood may cause heavy losses.
dealing with Aqua alta, what have people done?
In Italian, seasonal floods in Venice are called Aqua alta. Every winter, due to the influence of tides and monsoons, the tide rises. Generally, it will be called Aqua alta if it exceeds 110cm.
France Le Monde reported that in order to warn local people, the Venetian government has established a special website to predict tides, publishing messages at a fixed time every day to predict the height of tides in four periods of a day. If Aqua alta is encountered, the Venetian government has a complete early warning mechanism. The government will send free warning text messages or emails to local residents' mobile phones, and residents can also check water level information through official websites, social platforms and other media channels.
In addition, if the rising tide level exceeds 110cm, then 3 hours before the rising tide, the whole city of Venice will issue a flood air defense alarm. Different water levels will have different alarm sounds to remind residents and tourists to pay attention to their personal safety, so that businesses can prepare in advance, and minimize economic losses.
The most important thing is the water control project code-named "Moses". According to AFP, 79 giant liftable hinge cement boards will be built around the city under the plan, each of which will be 28 meters high, 20 meters wide and weigh 300 tons. When the tide rises rapidly, these cement slabs will rise to prevent the city from being flooded. But the project has been criticized for being "outdated, expensive and inefficient" and has failed to be completed on time due to a corruption scandal. Residents accused of "stolen 6 billion euros for nothing."
According to original estimates, the sluice can last up to 100 years. However, local media said that rust problems have occurred after less than 10 years of water launch of the department gate, and it takes longer to repair.
According to the Venice Water Authority, in addition to the "Moses Plan", Venice will also prevent the erosion of the coastline by establishing new beaches, expanding the coastline, building "protective embankment" projects, and restoring ancient seaside protective walls. At the same time, it will try its best to restore the form of the lake area and curb and reverse environmental deterioration. However, these measures have achieved little success due to the development of large ports and the obstacles of giant cruise ships.
"The future of Venice is at stake, we can no longer live like that... This is also related to our international credibility." Mayor Brugalo said. The annual flood invasion has led more and more residents to choose to escape. How many people are really fighting for "fighting against destiny" that determines the future of Venice.
