According to Darik News citing the Italian Geographical Society, several Italian regions could sink below sea level by the year 2100.
The study warns that Italy could lose 20% of its beaches by 2050 and up to 40% by 2100, with nearly 800,000 residents facing forced relocation due to flooding and erosion.
Most Affected Areas
The northern Adriatic coast, including the Po Delta, Venice, and parts of Ravenna, is most at risk. Southern and western coastal zones such as Tuscany, Campania, Cagliari, and Oristano are also vulnerable.
Nearly half of Italy’s port infrastructure and over 10% of its agricultural land could be affected, alongside fragile wetland ecosystems and lagoons vital to Mediterranean biodiversity.
The Global Climate Perspective
According to Copernicus and the IPCC, sea levels in the Mediterranean are expected to rise by up to 80 centimeters by 2100. This could make flooding events in Venice occur monthly rather than yearly.
Projects like MOSE, the massive flood-barrier system designed to protect Venice, may help but cannot fully counter long-term sea-level rise.
Key Facts
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Up to 2,500 km of coastline could be submerged by 2100.
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Annual economic losses could reach €45 billion.
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Cultural landmarks like Pisa, Taranto, and Syracuse are at risk.
Italy’s battle against rising seas is becoming not just an environmental challenge but a cultural one — protecting millennia of history from being lost to the waves.