Venice is sinking due to a combination of different things from the way it was built to the way we pollute our earth today. Venice is built on a marshy surface that is soft and is prone to settling under the weight of structures. In the 20th century industrial activity led to extraction of lots of water which caused the ground to compact and sink. This work has been halted but the damage is ongoing. Along with that, another cause is due to global warmings and glaciers melting.
Our first research question was asking what Venice has done to stop this problem. We figured out that Venice has created the MOSE project, which is a system of mobile floodgates to mitigate the impact of rising sea levels and storm surges. Venice has already invested around $6.7 billion in total. It has overall been quite effective for now, but it may not be sufficient to the long-term impacts.
Our second research question was asking what could eventually happen if none of Venice's solutions work, and if the issue regresses. We found out that if sea levels continue to rise, the city may face permanent submersion and significant damage to its infrastructure and cultural heritage. Venice is predicted to sink at the earliest being in the year 2100. That would cause irreversible damage to its history.
Our third research question was asking how we could improve the MOSE project. We said that to do so, we can enhance the system's ability to handle higher sea levels, improve energy efficiency, and develop complementary measures to protect the lagoon ecosystem and Venice’s cultural heritage.
Our last research question was asking what the possible ways Venice can preserve its historical structures against flooding. We said that the MOSE project is already doing a good job doing so, but for the future, Venice can also preserve its historical structures by working with nature to manage water levels and improving its infrastructure. This includes restoring natural barriers, like barrier islands to slow the tide, and managing canals through dredging and ground water control.