Save Lake Varese

By Celina Ram

Supervisor: Dr. Gesa Lüdecke

The idea for my final project first came to mind after family friends told me about a small citizen action group that was fighting for the restoration of an alpine lake in the Italian district of Varese. In the past, its crystal-clear waters were a tourist attraction, a destination for leisure and retreat, and home to diverse fauna and flora. More recently, eutrophication from sewage pollution has caused the proliferation of cyanobacteria (toxic blue green algae), which has deteriorated the quality of the water, posing a threat to humans and other life-forms. Species have gone extinct, a swimming ban has been enforced, and the impression the lake now gives makes it hard to believe that the yellow-green, slimy surface belong to what was once a very appealing lake.

The action group aims to raise awareness of the negligent lack of water management of bordering lakeshore communities. Public sewage has been discharging, unfiltered, into the alpine lake for centuries. They argue that the problems of the lake have been downplayed and dismissed by local authorities, while large public budgets have been wasted on bogus cleaning projects in the past. A toxic mix of corrupt politics, misinformed residents, and an insufficient awareness of the dangers of climate change have prevented the reforms necessary for reversing the eutrophication. The group’s main objectives are to inform the community and to sequester support and expertise from other local authorities and transnational committees, and to put pressure on the local decision-making bodies to take action.

In order to support this cause, I approached the action group with an offer to tailor my final project to their current requirements. The organisation’s founder, Dorothea Dietz, asked me to formulate an accessible and compelling argument in English, based on scientific papers and journalistic articles. My text summarizes the current work of the group and outlines the importance of the project. It is targeted at anyone with an interest in water purification and lake restoration in the Italian region of Varese, but particularly towards the residents of the lakeside communities.

This text has already been published on the association's website and can be found here.