Why Are Venicians Fleeing Venice?

[M II A II R II K]

Ciao, Ciao, Venice


Published Nov 2, 2009

By Barbie Nadeau | NEWSWEEK

http://www.newsweek.com/id/220748

Doomsayers have been predicting that Venice will sink into the sea for decades. For hundreds of days every year, water (known as acqua alta) floods the city's main squares and low-lying streets, causing structural damage to the ancient buildings and bestowing headaches on anyone trying to get around on foot. The average water level in the lagoon has risen by 24 centimeters over the last century. At this rate, even the most conservative predictions give Venice less than 100 years before it is completely submerged.

But now there may be a more imminent threat to this picturesque city. Venice isn't sinking as much as it is shrinking—demographers predict that by 2030, there won't be a single full-time Venetian resident left.