Water Volumes

Flooding and Environmental Challenges for Venice and Its Lagoon: State of Knowledge
C. A. Fletcher and T. Spencer (2005). Cambridge University Press, Cambridge CB2 2RU, England, United Kingdom, 718 pp., $190 (hardcover), ISBN 978-0-521-84046-0.

Coastal water management issues are evolving in the United States — particularly on the Eastern Seaboard — as well as all over the world. The relevance of this book resides in its interdisciplinary approach to the problem. The authors consider the geological, hydrological, climatological, environmental, conservationist, engineering, and anthropological elements in a vast effort to determine the most important and relevant changes facing the fabled city of Venice in the immediate future and in the midterm as the menaces of rising sea levels, flooding, and ecosystem and urban destruction are met on a daily basis.

This book also presents data from different scientific areas and makes a case for an integrated interpretation of the data that has been gathered pertaining to the Veneto area. At the same time, it establishes and demonstrates a much broader correlation of local conditions with climate, environment, and human-related activity in the Mediterranean basin, continental Europe, and also globally. The complexity of the subject provides scientific and engineering-sound propositions for the city’s amelioration.  Tidal effects, plate tectonic subsidence, atmospheric pressure, solar radiation and sunspot activity, subsoil characteristics, and aquifer levels all are examined.

The above parameters and others are analyzed by correlating modern and recently gathered data with data obtained from the archeological, historical, and paleographic records. This effort helps establish a more accurate model for forecasting flooding events in the Adriatic and, more particularly, Venice.

An accurate forecast makes possible an adequate emergency preparation — both at the city level and for individuals. The book also covers several sea level and tidal activity forecasting methods based on the interpretation and association of many of the variables mentioned above through statistical, deterministic, finite element analysis, and neural network modeling. The authors present each model’s strengths, shortcomings, and areas of application.

A frank discussion of the proposed gates system for Venice and the financial cost of this solution are presented in an integral way with a fresh look at other coastal cities in Europe and their solutions to their flooding issues. The presentation leads the reader toward a broad incipient knowledge of the lagoon–sea ecosystem and the urban and human effects on it.

Miguel Vera is manager of biosolids products at Eimco Water Technologies (Salt Lake City).

©2007 Water Environment Federation. All rights reserved.