Centre for World Environmental History

Act now or swim later!

CWEH Activists Blog: 4 December 2019
Carol Yong

Act nowI visited Venice, for the first time, in November 2017. I took the train, as trains have a fascinating appeal. Not only can one walk about and stretch during a long journey, trains are also very climate-friendly.

In Venice, I saw a few large cruise ships docked in the harbour. Venice is only accessible by pedestrians and this has led to a reduction in carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions. However, the effects of pollution caused by large ships that enter the lagoon is immense. They burn huge amounts of diesel, contributing to CO2 emissions and air pollution. Whilst in dock the ships often keep their engines running to produce power to provide the services and amenities for passengers on board and thus add to further pollution.

In 1970 the first large purpose-built ship weighed about 18000 tonnes and carried approximately 1,000 passengers. Today’s cruise ships are much larger (over 100000 tonnes) and can carry more than 5000 passengers, offering a range of services and facilities on board.  More than ever before, wealthy individuals and families want to take their holidays‘ on a luxury cruise liner. The locals in Venice have witnessed an increase in tourism thanks to the cruise ship industry in the Venetian Lagoon. The locals have also seen the large ships destroy the foundations of the city’s streets, ancient buildings, and other historic sites. The movement of these huge vessels displaces a massive amount of water with the waves they create, eroding the sandbanks of the lagoon (canal banks) and destroying the habitat of local wildlife species including fish, birds, and plants.

The amount of water that enters and exits the lagoon during the tides has also undergone major changes owing to the destructive action of digging and deepening the canals to allow the large ships to pass into the lagoon. For centuries, the population of Venice  has occasionally experienced floods due to storms and continuous heavy rains which raised the water above normal sea levels. High tides and floods are part of daily life in a lagoon city. Most locals use their own local knowledge to cope and adapt with the recurring acque alte or high waters.

Notwithstanding that tourism is a major revenue earner for Venice, and the job opportunities it creates for the locals, tourism prior to the large cruise ships did not cause serious damage to the lagoon environment, the local businesses, or upset the daily lives of the locals. Today, it is mass tourism, with day trippers and cruise passengers who spend just a few hours or a single night in the location, then leave with bags of shopping, souvenirs and photographs, while the locals  are left to “clean up”. Many ordinary Venitians have been against mass tourism, especially the cruise ship industry. Many want the city authorities to ban giant cruise ships from the city's lagoon. Yet, one can still see cruise ships come and dock in the lagoon.

Why am I talking about Venice and the cruise ship story now? In September and October (2019) alone, Venice came under the limelight three times with media reports and photographs of the water filled pedestrian walk, St Mark's Basilica, the ancient church, and other sites, with tourists wading through knee-deep water in wellies. Never before has there been so many severe floods in such a short period of time. Flooding causes severe damage  not only on the shop and restaurant owners, and residents, but also to the city’s heritage, arts, architect, and buildings, among others.

Not just 2019, but over the past few decades, Venice has experienced more frequent and severe flooding, a problem exacerbated by many “little” things. But above all else, today’s increase in  the flooding of Venice is a clear sign that the fragile city is exposed to the direct and indirect hazards of climate change. With the rise in sea levels and more intense autumn-rainfall on the Southern flanks of the Alps, the accumulated effects could be devastating.

The increased incidence of flooding and the continued rise in sea levels have exposed the threat of Venice sinking. The local authority is taking steps, or at least appears to be doing something to protect the city, by reviving the old Mose flood barrier project. First proposed in 2003, the Mose project was never completed due to delays and other issues, including a corruption scandal. Now the city administrators are pushing the national government to complete the flood gates as a matter of urgency to prevent further flooding in the Venetian lagoon.

What’s happening in Venice should serve as an important lesson that human intervention can and has indeed contributed, if not worsened, the climate crisis. It’s time to act or swim later, as a poster seen at the Fridays for Future Linz rally on 29th November 2019 reminds us.