A new island has emerged in Venice – thanks to recently installed city flood barriers.
Bacan is a small stretch of land near the Sant’Erasmo island on the Northern Venetian Lagoon. It can only be reached by private boat.
The island is popular with local residents during the summer months as an escape from a city bustling with tourists.
But now a new flood defence system means it can be enjoyed all year round.
The Mose flood barrier opened in 2020 and protects the northern Italian city from sea surges.
It is also the reason why Bacan has emerged permanently, an engineer who worked on Mose told The Times.
Giovanni Cecconi told the newspaper: “The barrier… accelerates the flow of water into the lagoon when it is open, meaning more sand comes in, helping sustain Bacan.”
“And by raising the barrier in winter to stop high waters, the island is protected from the surges that used to erode it,” he added.
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Bacan was last submerged in the winter of 2020.
“Mose was working by then, but because operators were on holiday it didn’t get raised on one particular occasion,” Mr Cecconi said.
The island’s new ecosystem may also be protecting it from further erosion, the engineer said.
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Venice, comprised of more than 100 islands, is particularly at risk of flooding due to rising sea levels and overtourism – when the number of visitors to an area worsens the experience of being there for locals or other tourists.
Around 50,000 people live in the historic city centre, with almost five million tourists arriving in 2023, according to the data-gathering website Statista.
