Italy\'s beaches and coastlines are being washed away at an alarming rate, warn environmental researchers. Between 2000 and 2007, fully 600,000 square meters of beach was lost, and 37 per cent of Italy\'s coastline was reshaped, says Ispra, Italy\'s Institute for Protection and Environmental Research. In the past, experts have blamed development along Italy\'s rivers for slowing down the erosion of river banks, which had historically provided tonnes of sediment and sand to buttress coastal areas and beaches. Meanwhile, in its yearbook of environmental data for 2011, Ispra reports that the mean sea level is rising in Venice. This has been a major concern for the future of the famous city, which is faced with constant threat that its historic buildings will be destroyed by rising levels of dangerously polluted water.