Flood Proofing Cities

St. Petersburg: Solution
In 1980, the Soviet government began to erect a pair of massive storm surge barriers on either side of a small island in the Neva. With the project nearly 65 percent complete, financial problems and environmental concerns brought it to halt less than 10 years later. But in 2003, with new foreign funding and a plan to keep the river healthy, the project was revived. Construction is now under way to finish the barriers, seen here, which will shut during storms and hopefully spare St. Petersburg any more high-water floods.