After the pandemic, people have returned to travel in a big way, and Venice is one destination on many peoples’ bucket lists. However, this beautiful and popular destination in Italy has a major problem. Due to various reasons, the famous canals of Venice are running dry.
Canals in Venice are running dry
Venice has always been an attractive destination for travelers and despite the crowds of tourists, it continues to be on many peoples’ bucket lists. However, right now, there is a major problem in this historic and unique city and this is related mainly to low tides and drought.
According to recent news articles and video clips, Venice has been experiencing an unusually dry winter and this is leading to its famous canals running dry. Local authorities and travel experts are concerned about the situation, especially with the busy summer season coming soon. On top of this, Italy declared a state of emergency last year due to drought conditions. Now it looks like it’s happening all over again.
While it seems contradictory, the city of Venice is also sinking and experts believe it could disappear by 2100. This makes a visit to the Italian city imperative, to see it at its best before it disappears.
However, canals are suffering very low levels of water, which means that gondolas, water taxis, and even water ambulances having problems moving around the streetless city.
Why are the canals running dry?
While experts speak of global warming and climate change making water levels dangerously high, Venice has the opposite problem. There are a number of reasons why this is happening, including the fact that the Alps received 53 percent less snow this winter. Meanwhile, there has been a high-pressure system where there is a lack of rain, while sea currents and low tides also have an effect.
Apparently, the lack of water isn’t just happening in Venice, as reportedly, other lakes and rivers in Italy are running low, particularly in the north of the country. Meanwhile, according to local authorities, this dry season will bring the canals back to normal. That’s all well and good, but how does this affect anyone visiting Venice now?
Not all canals in Venice are dry
While recent TikTok videos and other social media portray dry canals with grounded gondolas, Venice actually has 177 canals. Apparently, they aren’t all affected in the same way. However, there are certain aspects travelers should know.
While certain canals are dry, the deepest, like the Grand Canal, still have water and are navigable by gondolas. However, certain routes are not available and gondoliers find it hard to move their passengers around.
Due to this, even emergency services are impacted, with water ambulances having problems navigating the city. This means that it could be difficult to get medical attention at certain locations in the city. Meanwhile, where the canals are dry, there tends to be an unpleasant odor in certain locations. According to France24, a tourist they interviewed said, “The smell is terrible.”
Meanwhile, local residents are also concerned about how the drought affects their living conditions, especially those who rely on canal transportation to get around. While authorities expect the weather to change, the situation is still uncertain.
According to Reuters, Massimiliano Pasqui from the Italian scientific research institute CNR, said that the drought situation has been affecting northern Italy since 2020. The only way to avoid yet another drought is for the rain to fall.
“We need to recover 500 mm [20 in] in the north-western regions: we need 50 days of rain,” Pasqui added.
Anyone planning a trip to Venice this year should do their research and find out the local conditions before booking that flight.