Slow death of Venice

Men clean the steps of the Rialto bridge over the Grand Canal, Venice's main thoroughfare. Hundreds of boats, vaparettos, water taxis, gondolas and cargo boats travel through Venice on the canal every day Photograph: David Levene/David Levene

A neon sign for an alley bar and cafe Photograph: David Levene

The Costa Fortuna cruise ship sails on the Canale Della Giudecca Photograph: Dan Kitwood/Getty Images

Tourists avoid a flooded square during a period of high water in Venice last month. Waters rose to 1.2 metres above sea level Photograph: Reuters

A water bus passes under the Rialto bridge in the fog Photograph: Reuters

A man walks on a flooded quay after warnings that the sea was due to rise 1.6 metres above its normal level, the highest for 30 years Photograph: Andrea Pattaro/AFP/Getty Images

Tourists line up near the Campanile on the Piazza San Marco during the 65th Venice international film festival, held in September last year Photograph: Denis Balibouse/Reuters

Boats rest on the bed of an almost dry canal in January 2007 Photograph: Andrea Merola/EPA

Pedestrians cross the fourth bridge over the Grand Canal, the Ponte della Costituzione, which was designed by the Spanish architect Santiago Calatrava Photograph: /Reuters

Crowds of tourists on the Ponte Della Paglia, near St Mark's Square Photograph: David Levene

A gondolier steers his vessel along one of Venice's canals Photograph: Denis Balibouse/Reuters