Global Water Partnership (GWP) has expressed concern at recent events in Venice and is warning that the global water crisis due to the effects of extreme weather could destroy the iconic city as we know it.

The famous canals in Venice are usually threatened by flooding, but now, after weeks of dry winter weather have made it impossible for gondolas, water taxis and ambulances to navigate the city’s tangle of water ways.

The canals are the lifeblood of Venice’s tourist-based economy. Any threat to the health of the canals is a threat to the city itself as tourism contributes €2bn annually to Venice's gross income, by far its biggest source of revenue.

After experiencing its worst drought in seven decades last year, Italy looks on course to experience another water emergency in the coming months.

Likewise, the Alps have received less than half their normal amount of snowfall, while water levels on Lake Garda in northern Italy have fallen to record lows, making it possible to walk to the lake's small island of San Biagio via an exposed pathway.

According to GWP, the number of weather-related disasters, such as floods, droughts, storms and extreme temperatures has increased by a factor of five over the past 50 years, claiming, on average, the lives of 115 people and causing $202m in economic losses globally every day.

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