Aims of the International Discussion Meeting

Actions are needed to safeguard Venice from flooding and environmental degradation. These actions need to be supported by using the available information and state of knowledge wisely. The primary aim of the meeting was to provide a forum for discussion. Participants were invited to illustrate key research results with self-criticism and to suggest realistic and demonstrable ways around current problems.

The specific objectives being:

• To identify and discuss the key issues facing Venice and proposed interventions and solutions to combat the flooding and environmental problems;
• To provide a synthesis of sound scientific and technological research results;
• To explore scale (global-to-local) and uncertainty issues associated with predicting the impact of global environmental change in Venice; and,
• To continue to build a community of researchers for issues related to the sustainable management of coastal lagoon systems using Venice as a case study.

This initiative will provide the first international synthesis of the extensive interdisciplinary research investigation on the Venice problem since the UNESCO Report of 1969.

The meeting brought together over 130 researchers and practitioners from a broad range of disciplines including:

Coastal and flood engineering, oceanography, geomorphology, environmental chemistry, lagoon biology and mathematical modelling of environmental processes; Weather forecasting and climate change; Architecture, preservation and the built environment; Integrated coastal management; and, Environmental policy