Venice has that sinking feeling again

The end of Venice may come sooner that we thought as scientists warn that the lagoon city has begun sinking again.

Despite previous indications the subsistence had levelled off, new research shows Venice to be sinking an average of one to two millimetres a year.

The study, which will appear in the journal Geochemistry, Geophysics, Geosystems, also found that Venice is listing slightly eastward, meaning the western side is higher than the rest. This, combined with rising sea levels, might mean that even the ambitious new multi-billion euro MOSE flood protection system will not be enough to save the city from the sea.

The report adds that Venice's 117 islands are also sinking, with those in the north dropping two to three millimetres per year and those in the south sinking three to four. According to the scientists the reasons for Venice's renewed descent are both natural and man-made.