2026 Reports

Managing Flooding in Venice, Italy

Lucatello, Simone

Venice faces increasing flood risks due to sea level rise, land subsidence, storm surges, and intense precipitation affecting the Venetian Lagoon. To address these hazards, Italy implemented the MOSE Project, a system of movable barriers designed to temporarily isolate the lagoon from the Adriatic Sea during extreme high-tide events. The system consists of 78 mobile gates that can be raised to prevent seawater and watershed inflows from flooding the historic city. While MOSE has successfully reduced short-term flood risk and protected critical infrastructure and cultural heritage, its operation raises environmental, financial, and governance challenges. The project highlights the complexities of large-scale coastal adaptation infrastructure in historic and highly vulnerable coastal cities.