The objective of the legislation to safeguard Venice is to guarantee the complete defence of all built-up areas in the lagoon from high waters of all levels, including extreme events. Ever more frequently, Venice, Chioggia and other historic towns and villages in the lagoon are flooded with water and the lowest lying zones - usually the oldest and most valuable - are now flooded almost daily, particularly during the winter. The risk of an event representing a danger to the city, such as that of 1966, is ever greater.
The system includes mobile flood barriers, realised at the lagoon inlets in order to isolate the lagoon from the sea in the case of tides higher than the pre-established height, the complementary measures, a series of works capable of abating the level of the most frequent tides and at teh Malamocco inlet the system foresees a navigation lock to allow the transit of large ships.
The defence system integrate these works and the local defences, carried out by “raising up” the lagoon banks and public pavement in the areas that lie the lowest on the water.

The integration between the mobile barriers, the complementary works and the raising up of the banks and pavements defines a system of defence that is extremely efficient and functional and that not only guarantees the total defence from high waters, but also guarantees port activity, water quality, and the safeguarding of lagoon morphology.

Defence from high waters: intervention areas (works completed and underway)