Venice’s well-known canals are becoming dry due to a number of issues.
Venice is renowned for its intricate system of canals.
The city’s attractions may be seen from a different angle thanks to the waterways, which are traveled by tens of thousands of water taxis and gondolas every day.
Flooding is typically the city’s top issue between October and January. Every year for a few days, Venice‘s low-lying areas, including Saint Mark’s Square, are submerged by rising water levels.
Yet, a number of events have led to the drying up of these renowned canals.
After weeks of dry winter weather, a lack of precipitation is partially to blame, but a high-pressure weather system, full moon, and sea currents have also played a role.
The low water levels have a negative impact on conventional gondolas and water taxis. The city’s essential water ambulances may find it difficult to navigate Venice’s main thoroughfares because to the drought.
This winter, rivers and lakes throughout Italy have experienced a severe water shortage, particularly in the north of the nation. This winter’s snowfall in the Alps has been less than half typical.
Italy’s longest river, the Po, runs from the Alps to the Adriatic Sea. It has 61 per cent less water than is normal at this time of year.
Levels are also low on Lake Garda, meaning it is possible to reach the island of San Biagio on foot.
“We are in a water deficit situation that has been building up since the winter of 2020-2021,” climate expert Massimiliano Pasqui told Italian daily newspaper Corriere della Sera.
“We need to recover 500 millimetres in the north-western regions: we need 50 days of rain,” he said.
That happens after the country experienced its worst drought in 70 years, leading to the Po River Basin declaring a state of emergency last summer.